BRAVO Alaska2 Native Magazine

BRAVO ALASKA

NATIVE MAGAZINE

Anchorage, Bristol Bay, Bethel, Bering Straits, Fairbanks

-2-

-3-

AlaskaNativeArtists.com Contemporary + Traditional Native Art by Native Artists

www.alaskanativeartists.com When you buy Native Art from us...

Almost all proceeds go directly to Native artists The website www.alaskanativeartists.com was founded in 2003 to give Alaska Native artists an online venue for their work. It’s operated by the Native nonprofit Sealaska Heritage Institute, which serves the Tlingit, Haida, and Tsimshian people of Southeast Alaska. Almost all proceeds from sales go directly to Alaska Native artists. And, we screen artWhat Customers Say... ists to ensure they are Alaska Native, so you know you are “There are no words to explain my gratitute. The piece you carved is so getting authentic Native art. precious.” —Massachusetts To learn more about us, see www.sealaskaheritage.org “Please pass along my sheer awe from or call 907.463.4844. one artist to another.” —Maine

Explore 2,000 years of Alaskan art, including ancient ivory carvings, Alaska Native artworks, paintings, photographs and contemporary sculpture.

Discover fascinating stories about Alaska’s cultures, places and wildlife.

Shop for handmade Alaska Native art, baskets, ivory carvings and more in the Museum Store.

www.uaf.edu/museum/ 907.474.7505

SUMMER HOURS: 9 AM – 9 PM DAILY OPEN YEAR ROUND IN FAIRBANKS, ALASKA

Discover Ketchikan’s history at the Tongass Historical Museum 629 Dock Street • Ketchikan, AK • 907-225-5600

CONTENTS Top Eight First Nation’s Destinations

South Central Cordova 23

Wasilla 67

Valdez 25

Homer 69

Anchorage 27

Seldovia 71

Chugiak 65

Kodiak 75

South West Unalaska 81

Dillingham 85

Kokhanok 183

Bethel 87

Far North Unalakleet 92

Shishmaref 103

Nome 95

Kotzebue 107

St.Lawrence Island 99

Barrow 111

Teller 101

Kavtovik 115

Wales 102

Anaktuvuk Pass 117

Interior Fort Yukon 121 Beaver 122 Fairbanks 123

Nenana 133 Slana 140 INDEX 141

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Native Alaska &

Nome

Yukon Magazine 2024 All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise,without the prior permission in writing of the copyright holder.

All efforts have been made to provide updated information regarding businesses included in this publication.

Anchorage

Juneau Haida Gwaii

Vancouver BC Seattle

FC Photos:World Eskimo Indian Olympics Ronn Murray Photography

Best, Christopher Alaska Native Magazine

Portland

San Francisco

ISBN 978-0-9812574-0-2

Published and bound in China chris@metro-online.ca Warfleet Press 1038 East 63rd Ave. Vancouver BC V5X2L1 www.adventure-guides.ca

Dear Readers!

This book is a compilation of past issues. It serves to remember amany of the native artists who lived and worked in Alaska from 2009 to the present. www.adventure-guides.ca

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Top Eight Destinations

Top 8 First Nation’s Destinations In Ketchikan visit: the Totem Heritage Center, Tongass Historical Museum, Southeast Alaska Discover Center, Cape Fox Lodge, Potlatch Park, Totem Bight State Park, Saxman Village and The Healing Art Collection in Metlakatla.

In Sitka visit the Sheldon Jackson Museum, the Sitka National Historical Park, the Sitka Cultural Center, Sheet’ka Kwaan Naa Kahidi Community House, Sitka Tribal Tours and the galleries downtown.

In Juneau take the Mount Roberts Tramway up to the gift shop and artisan gallery, visit the Juneau Douglas Museum and the Alaska State Museum, the Sealaska building and downtown galleries.Visit the U of Alaska art collection.

In Haines visit the Sheldon Museum and watch the carvers at Alaska Indian Arts. Visit the new Chilkat Indian Village in Klukwan and see the bald eagles.

A trip to Hoonah to Icy Strait Point is amazing. Come up on a cruise!

In Anchorage visit the Wells Fargo History Museum, the Anchorage Museum, the Alaska Native Medical Center Heritage Collection and the Alaska Native Heritage Center. Also see the many galleries downtown and the airport exhibits.

In Fairbanks see the Museum of the North and the Morris Thompson Cultural and Visitors Center. Visit the galleries downtown.

In Whitehorse visit the new Kwanlin Dun Cultural Center and galleries.

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Barrow

ARCTIC OCEAN

Deadho Point Hope

CHUKCHI SEA

Anaktuvuk Pass

RUSSIA

Kotzebue

Kobuk Valley National Park

Gates of the Arctic National Park

Wi

Bettles

Col

Shishmaref Wales

Teller

Gambell Savoonga

11

Pilgrim Hot Springs

A L A S K A

Council

Nome

nR

o Yuk

Shaktoolik

2

Manley Springs

Unalakleet ST LAWRENCE ISLAND

r

ive

Denali Park

St.Michael

Kantishna

Bering Land Bridge National Park

MT. MCKINLEY

Petersville 3

T

Anchorage Bethel Port Alsworth

Co o

Iliamna

Dillingham

BERING SEA

St.Paul

Aniakchak National Preserve

Cold Bay

ALE

UT

S IAN

Unalaska

ALASKA PENINSULA NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE

Homer

Seldovia

Katmai Park

Kodiak KODIAK NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE

Cooper Landing

1

King Salmon

BRISTOL BAY

St.George

Soldotna k In le t

NUNIVAK ISLAND

15 B E A U F O R T S E A

Prudhoe Bay

Map

Kaktovik

orse

Ivvavik National Park of Canada

Old Crow

iseman

ldfoot Beaver

Fort Yukon

6

Fairbanks Chena

Eagle

Hot Springs

3 2

Nenana

Talkeetna

Delta Junction 8

Cantwell

e

Valdez

Whittier

5 Tok

Paxson

Dawson City

9

Mayo

Stewart Crossing 2

Beaver Creek

Wrangell-St.Elias National Preserve

1

4

Chitina McCarthy Kennicott

Cordova

Faro

Carmacks

Slana

1

Copper Center

Girdwood

Chicken

2

Glennallen 1

Y U K O N T E R R I T O R Y

Yukon- Charley Rivers National Park

Whitehorse Kluane Haines Jct. 1 National Teslin Park Carcross Tatshenshini -Alsek Park

Seward PRINCE WILLIAM SOUND

Ross River

Yakutat

Skagway

Haines

Hoonah

G U L F O F A L A S K A

Juneau Angoon

Sitka

Kake

Petersburg Wrangell

Prince of Wales Island Klawock Hydaburg

PACIFIC OCEAN

Ketchikan Saxman

Kassan Metlakatla IN

SI

Haida Gwaii

DE

PA

SS

AG

E

16

The Alaska Marine Highway A great way to travel through south east Alaska is by ferry, more appropriately called the Alaska Marine Highway. From Prince Rupert one can hop on board for a liesurely six hour ride to Ketchikan, through lush coastal forests and by-ways, past whales, bears - if you are lucky enough to see them and other marine life. The Alaska Marine Highway is a great way to visit First Nations villages throughout southeast Alaska and beyond.

In Ketchikan you can visit Totem Bight Park, Potlach Park, Cape Fox Lodge where you can see First Nations art in display cases in the hotel lobby; visit the Totem Heritage Museum and the Discovery Center and take a short drive out to

Yacutat

Skagway

Haines Pelican Hoonah Tenakee

Juneau Angoon

Sitka Petersburg

Kake Wrangell Ketchikan

Metlakatla Prince Rupert

to Bellingham

17

Port Lions

Homer Chenega Bay

Whittier Valdez Tatitlek Cordova

Kodiak

Saxman Village to see Tlingit Master Carver Nathan Jackson. Other short trips can be made to Metlakatla and Prince of Wales Island to see totem poles. Back on board the ferry, the next stop is Wrangell where you can visit Chief Shakes House and Museum. In Kake you can see the ‘Tallest Totem Pole in the World’ and visit Cedar House Gallery. There are several lodges to stay at in Angoon if you would like to stay overnight.

Be sure to check the ferry times for a listing of the seasons runnings, bearing in mind there is a summer and a winter schedule. The two hour ride to Ketchikan costs $54 one way for an individual and about $154 if you bring your own 15 foot vehicle.

Sitka is our next major First Nations destination. A must see in Sitka is the Sitka National Historical Park and Museum. There is a totem park in the back as well, and the South East Alaska Indian Cultural Center can be found inside where you will find Tlingit artists Tommy Joseph and Charlie Skultka Jr. at work. There are several galleries selling First Nations art downtown, as there is in Ketchikan. Back on board, our next stop on what I call the “Tlingit Trail,” is Juneau. If you are staying overnight try the Goldbelt Hotel which is First Nations owned. It is centrally located and in the spring/summer you can book a gondola ride up to the top of Mt. Roberts behind Juneau and visit a First Nations gallery inside the landing. A trip out to the U of Alaska, Juneau campus to see the First Nations art collection should be on your list of things to do. A day trip to the Tlingit village of Hoonah is always in order. Visit Icy Strait Point while in Hoonah and ride the longest ‘Zip line’ in the world. Back in Juneau, there are several First Nations galleries downtown and be sure to drop into the lobby of the Sealaska Corporation to view their native art collection and gift shop.

Alaska Marine Highway

Seldovia

Alaska Marine Highway

18 Our next stop is wonderful Haines. A visit to old Fort Seward is a must. Located in one of the historic buildings at the fort is Alaska Indian Arts. You can see master carvers at work on totem poles and visit their gift shop. While in Haines you can take a 20 minute ride out through the Chilkat Eagle Preserve to the ancestral home of the Tlingit Nation, ‘Klukwan.’ In Klukwan, you can visit their new hospitality center and gift shop and see artisans at work nearby. The scenery is beautiful throughout southeast Alaska but spectacular in this area. Back on the Marine Highway we carry on to Yakutat once the center of Tlingit basket weaving.

When you reach Whittier you will want to get off the ferry and take a side trip to Anchorage. Anchorage is steeped in First Nations cultural things to see and do.

You can visit the world famous Anchorage Museum at Rasmusen Center and the Native Heritage Center. Take a bus ride out to the the Craft Shop and Heritage Collection at the Native Medical Center and visit the Heritage Museum at Wells Fargo.

Back on board the ‘Highway,’ you can carry on to Kodiak and the Alutiiq Museum and then on to Unalaska.

Unalaska/Dutch Harbor Akutan Cold Bay King Cove False Pass

Chignik Sand Point

134 ~ ALASKA NATIVE MEDICAL CENTER CRAFT SHOP

South Central Cordova 23 Valdez 25 Anchorage 27 Chugiak 65 Wasilla 67 Homer 69 Seldovia 71 Kodiak 75

CORDOVA

23

Historically Home To The Chugach

ILANKA CULTURAL CENTER

www.ilankacenter.org

Cordova

The Chugach traditionally occupied Prince William Sound in the area west of present-day Cordova. The Chugach Eskimos comprised eight geographic groups within the sound. The groups spoke Alutiiq, a Yupik language dialect also called Suqcestun, and shared the same culture. Each of the eight groups was politically independent, with its own leader and principal village. Russians extended the term “Aleut” to include any Pacific Eskimo group including the Chugach. Even today, many Chugach often refer to themselves as Aleuts, leading to confusion regarding language relationships. The Chugach primarily exploited fish and sea mammals. Seals and sea lions were taken throughout the year, although spring was the most favored time.

Whales and sea otters were taken whenever possible. The Chugach caught halibut and cod in the spring, herring in June, and salmon during summer.

Meet the artists of Cordova!

24 Darlene C. Nichols Basket weaving, skin sewing, beading PO Box 1941, Cordova, AK 99574

907 424 3255

darlene.nichols@starband.net

Diana Burton

DINEEGA SPECIALTY FURS

PO Box 1941 Cordova, AK 99574

907 424 1364

www.dineegafurs.com

Gloria’s Creations Alaska Native Arts & Crafts I was born and raised in Naknek, Bristol Bay, Alaska My native blood is Athabaskan Indian & Aleut Gloria Cunningham Box 1451 Cordova, AK 99754

907 424 5604

VALDEZ

25

Nuuciq Spirit Camp

in Chugach history. Famous Spanish, English and American explorers have also left their mark on the history of the region. During the Early American period, the Region’s mineral and fisheries wealth attracted immigrants from all corners of the globe. Natives of the Chugach Region live in seven coastal communities in Prince William Sound and on the southwestern tip of the Kenai Peninsula.

Maxine & Jesse Whitney Museum

303 Lowe Street, Valdez, AK, 99686

907-834-1690 www.pwscc.edu/museum.shtml

Valdez

Archaeological excavations indicate that Alaska Natives have occupied the Chugach Region for thousands of years, from the time when the Sound was still largely covered by glaciers during the last ice age. Natives of our region were the first to meet the European explorer, Vitus Bering, who came to Alaska at Kayak Island in 1741 under the Russian flag. Since the founding of Fort Saint Constantine at Nuchek Village in 1793, the Russian culture has played an important role

26

South Central

Origin of the Name

Chugach

By John F.C. Johnson, 1999 Oral tradition records how the Native name “Chugach” came to be. This story was passed down to me by the late John Klashinoff, who was born in the village of Nuchek, in Prince William Sound in 1906.

John Klashinoff learned many stories from my grandmother’s uncle, Chief Makari (Makarka) Chimovitski, who adopted and raised him and 10 other orphans at a new settlement called Makarka Point. In the early 1900’s an epidemic that swept across Alaska claimed John’s parents and many others.

As he smoked his pipe and scratched his chin, John was proud to tell me old stories so that the traditions and beliefs of the Chugach would not die, but would live on as it was meant to be. The story is told as follows.

For ages and ages Prince William Sound as it was named by Captain James Cook was covered by a solid sheet of glacier ice that extended over nearly all of the bays and mountains. One day Native hunters were kayaking along the outer shores of the Pacific Ocean, when a man cried out: “Chu-ga, Chu-ga” (hurry, hurry). “Let’s go see what that black thing is sticking out of the ice.”

So the hunters paddled closer and closer to see what it was. Within a short distance, the hunters could see mountaintops emerging out of the retreating ice. Thus these ocean travelers settled along the ice-free shores of the Sound.

As the seasons changed from year to year, the ice melted rapidly, exposing deep fjords and lagoons that were rich in sea life and provided good beaches to settle on.

It was known that life thrived in the areas where the salt and fresh water met.

When the ice retreated, so did the animals. The Chugach people followed the ice and animals deep into the heart of Prince William Sound, where they remain to this very day.

www.chugach-ak.com

ANCHORAGE

27

Original Home Of The Athabaskan Dena’ina People

Alaska Native Arts FOUNDATION GALLERY

500 West 6th Avenue, Anchorage

907 258 2623 www.alaskanativearts.org

Anchorage

According to anthropological research using the Beluga Point Site located just a short distance from downtown Anchorage, human occupation of the Anchorage area occurred in three waves, the first in 3,000 BC, the second in 2,000 BC, and the third and last at the start of the new millennium. By the time of first contact with European cultures in 1756, the Eskimo people who had originally settled the area had been displaced by the Athabaskan Dena’ina people. This displacement has been estimated as early as 500 AD and as late as 1650 AD. It is estimated that more than 5,000 Dena’ina inhabited the Southcentral area at first contact with Europeans.

Lots to see and do in Anchorage. Visit the Alaska Museum, the Wells Fargo Museum, the Alaska Native Medical Centre and the Native Heritage Center.

South Central

28

OOMINGMAK

MUSK OX PRODUCERS’ CO-OPERATIVE

QIVIUT

HANDKNITS

From the downy soft under-wool of the Arctic Musk Ox The Alaskan co-operative that has brought exquisite Qiviut items to you as a unique northern gift since 1969. Qiviut (pronounced “kiv-ee-ute”), the downy-soft underwool from the Arctic musk ox, is shed naturally each year during the spring months. Eight times warmer than wool and extraordinarily lightweight, Qiviut is one of the finest natural fibers known to man. The Co-Operative is owned by approximately 250 Native Alaskan women from remote coastal villages of Alaska who knit each item by hand. Each village has a signature pattern derived from traditional aspects of village life and the Eskimo culture; they may come from an ancient artifact or a beadwork design All of our items are 100% Qiviut and in the natural color. The caps and scarves made by the knitters are as comfortable to wear on cool days in a warm climate as they are in chilly weather. Unlike wool, Qiviut is not scratchy and will not shrink in any temperature of water. It can be hand-washed in any mild detergent and will last for many years.

If you are in Anchorage call or stop by our downtown store at 604 H Street to see and feel our quality products.

The Musk Ox Producer’s Co-Operative is owned by its approximately 200 Native Alaskan members, and is served by an elected Board of Directors. Each member pays a yearly membership fee, and in return she has the right to receive the Qiviut yarn and the copy-righted Co-Op pattern, the only thing she has to provide is her own knitting needles. Each member can then knit at their own pace and in their own time making the items in patterns that belong to her area. Once she has finished several items, she will bring them in or mail them to the Co-Op

29

Anchorage headquarters at 604 H Street in downtown Anchorage.

When the knitting is received at headquarters, it is checked over for quality and entered into inventory. The knitted items are then washed, blocked, labeled and packaged so they will be ready for sale. The member is paid a set price for each individual item with a check that is issued the following day.

The check is always appreciated by the members who live in the remote villages of Alaska, where there are few jobs available. Some of these villages are small, with 100-200 people, most are located in coastal Alaska, where the only way to get in and out is by plane. To fly from one of these villages to Anchorage can cost well over $500 for a round trip. All goods are brought into the village by barge in the summer or by plane in the winter, which means that the cost of living is many times higher than Anchorage, and certainly than other areas of the United States. The income received by knitting helps the members and her family with the costs of such things as electricity and heat and other modern expenses. Most of our members live a subsistence lifestyle, hunting, fishing and gathering berries and other plants for their food. Even this lifestyle requires the extra money for fuel for boats or 4-wheelers and the cost of the equipment to get the necessary food. www.qiviut.com

South Central

30

by Musk Ox Producers’ Co-Operative • Native owned cooperative since 1969 • Hand-knitted by over 200 Eskimo knitters • Exclusive garments in Alaskan village patterns

• Celebrate 40 years of Qiviut • Enjoy traditionally inspired designs • The perfect gift for someone • Soft and lightweight • Eight times warmer than wool special

OOMINGMAK Downtown Location • Corner of 6th & H Parking on H Street (driveway available)

Little brown house with musk ox mural 604 H Street, Dept. FPG, Anchorage, AK 99501 (907) 272-9225 • www.qiviut.com First People AD_5.5x8.5_45764.indd 1

12/10/09 1:40 PM

31

Anchorage

Wells Fargo History Museum The Wells Fargo History Museum at Anchorage celebrates the diverse cultural heritage of the many indigenous peoples of Alaska. Displaying a large collection of Alaskan Native artifacts and fine art by Alaskan artists, this is the largest private collection of its kind in Alaska.

Exhibits include: •More than 900 Native artifacts and ivory carvings •Over 80 hand woven Alaska Native baskets ed!

•Many examples of traditional clothing as clos h m u e us covered in traditional seal skin •A Beringth Sea m kayak dly, is a S •Paintings by Alaskan artists Sydney Laurence, Fred Machetanz, Eustace Ziegler and others •A large collection of historic Alaskan business tokens The collection also highlights Wells Fargo’s history in the Alaskan Gold Rush era with a 2/3 scale stagecoach.

301 West Northern Lights Anchorage, AK 99503

(907) 265-2834

www.wellsfargohistory.com

An Undiscovered Gem of a Museum

South Central 32

33

Anchorage

South Central 14

35

Alaska Fur Exchange Geri Gillespie is the owner of the Alaska Fur Exchange, that is the big gray building with the red stripe on the corner of Old Seward Hwy. and Tudor Road in Anchorage, Alaska who started that huge business with only $4.00. That’s right.......... $4.00 plus lots of hard work and blessings from God. From that $4.00 investment, she bought $40.00 worth of beads and created beautiful bead necklaces and earrings. She attended bazaars, and arts and crafts shows where she sold her hand made jewelry. Fur Rondy 1979 was her first exposure to Alaska. From that small beginning grew the largest truly Alaskan store in the State of Alaska. A “must see” for any tourist visiting our wonderful state.

As a child, Geri was taught to give 10% tithes to God and she has continued that throughout her adult life. As a result, her business has flourished and grown to be one of the largest truly Alaskan shops in the entire State of Alaska, or even the world! She was able to help many people throughout the years and actually built a small Bible school in Haiti and a wing to an orphanage in Africa with the money she sent to a missionary friend from her home town in Shenandoah, Iowa.

Anchorage

A Truly Alaskan Store

Alaska’s Finest Selection of Authentic Alaskan Gifts

Alaska’s Largest Collection of Museum Quality Gifts s .ATIVE !RT #RAFTS s 7HALEBONE s 7ALRUS -AMMOTH )VORY s -ASKS -UCH -ORE s )VORY s *ADE s (ORN #ARVINGS s 3OAPSTONE s &UR &UR 0RODUCTS s $OLLS

4UDOR 2D

Store Hours Winter 10am-6pm Mon-Sat Summer 10am-6pm Mon-Sat 12 Noon-5pm Sun Closed Some Holidays

"MBTLB 'VS &YDIBOHF

.EW 3EWARD (WY

Alaska’s LARGEST Fur Pelt Dealer

/LD 3EWARD (WY

Her philosophy has been directed toward helping the many artists and craftspeople throughout Alaska. The huge inventory in her shop is an inspiration to anyone that walks through the door. She buys from her heart and has helped people when they really needed it. As a result, you will find the largest selection of “truly Alaskan” gifts in the entire state. Alaska Fur Exchange is known for it’s huge selection of quality and authentic gift items. It will take some time to look around when you walk through the door because you will be looking at one of the best taxidermy displays in the state, where you will see animals from around the world. That alone is worth the trip to Alaska Fur Exchange.

Alaska Fur Exchange buys the best there is to offer from the local artists and gives their customers a fair and honest price. One of the many advantages of shopping at Alaska Fur Exchange is the large selection of truly one-of-a-kind works of art, the knowledge given to the customer about the products and materials used in the creation of the artwork, and the friendly sales staff. You will see Geri’s smiling face and cheery personality, fun and funky hair and dress on most days. You will also be greeted by the other members of the store team. Feel free to ask questions

# 3TREET

South Central

36

)NTERNATI ONAL !IRPORT 2D

(907) 563-3877

SE Corner of Old Seward Hwy & Tudor - Midtown /LD 3EWARD (WY s !NCHORAGE !+ WWW ALASKAFUREXCHANGE COM

37

www.alaskafurexchange.com

Blessings, Geri Gillespie PHOTO TOP: Knives PHOTO MIDDLE: Jewellery PHOTO LEFT: Carvings

4417 Old Seward Hwy, SE Corner of Old Seward Hwy & Tudor - Midtown (907) 563 3877, www.alaskafurexchange.com akgifts@alaska.net, Fax (907) 561 4978

Anchorage

and expect to be given fair and correct answers to your inquiries.

Alaska Fur Exchange offers a full range of Alaskan arts and crafts; from fur pelts, fur products including taxidery work, rugs, bed spreads, pillows, slippers, mukluks, hats, mittens, earmuffs, scarves, headbands and many more products. Native made items fill the store; including whalebone carvings, soapstone, ivory, dolls, masks, dance fans, ulus, jade, gold nuggets, jewelry of all kinds, antler art and much more. It has the reputation of being the best place in Alaska to shop.

Alaska Fur Exchange is a unique and wonderful place. It is a family run store. On a daily basis, the staff is told from customers that it is the best shop they have ever been in and that it’s like shopping in a museum. You can also shop on line at:

South Central

38

The Anchorage Museum is Alaska’s largest art, history and science museum, with an emphasis on Alaska Native art and culture. Must-sees include rare Alaska Native artifacts, life-size dioramas of traditional Native dwellings and a breathtaking totem pole.

The Anchorage Museum recently opened several new features, including the ConocoPhillips Gallery of contemporary Alaska Native art and the Smithsonian Arctic Studies Center. The Smithsonian Center will house more than 600 Alaska Native objects on long-term loan from the Smithsonian Institution’s collections.

These objects were selected and interpreted with help from Alaska Native elders, artists and scholars. This exhibition demonstrates how each Native nation is unique — and how all are connected. Visitors will see many objects never displayed before, including an 1880s Iñupiaq caribou skin parka, a masterwork of Arctic clothing design, and a 1903 Tlingit crest hat made of woven spruce root. The exhibition also includes multimedia installations about contemporary Native life, a reminder

39

(907) 929-9200 or visit www.anchoragemuseum.org.

Above: This Tlingit war helmet found in Taku, Alaska in 1893 is one of the more than 600 objects that will be exhibited in the new Smithsonian Arctic Studies Center. Image credit: Courtesy of the National Museum of Natural History.

Previous Page: The Anchorage Museum’s Art of the North galleries include this 1973 oil painting by Alaska artist Fred Machetanz titled “Quest for Avuk.” Courtesy Anchorage Museum.

Above: This Athabascan “Wild Man” or “Cry Baby” mask was worn during a special mask dance.

Courtesy of the National Museum of Natural History.

Left: A Smithsonian employee demonstrates touch screens installed along the west wall of the Smithsonian Arctic Studies Center. Image credit: Courtesy of the Anchorage Museum

Anchorage

to visitors that Alaska Native culture is alive and thriving.

The Anchorage Museum is located at 625 C St. Admission is $10 adults, $8 seniors/students/military, $7 children ages 3 to 12. For more information, call

Meet the artists of Anchorage!

40 Alaska Airlines, the Anchorage Historical and Fine Art Museum, the United States Department of Agriculture, Alaska State Parks and many private interests have purchased Allie’s artwork. She has also made masks for Northwest Coast Indian theater presentations. www.alliehigh.com

Allie High Allie is a Tsimshian Raven, Haida and Aleut. Her family is from Metlakatla, Alaska and Masset, British Columbia. She holds a master’s degree from the University of Texas and a Bachelor’s degree in art education from the University of Oregon.

She has taught art in the public schools, in universities in Alaska and Louisiana and has been an artist in residence as well as an instructor in museums.

Ms. High apprenticed with Tsimshian master carver Jack Hudson beginning in 1984. The first time she saw one of Jack’s masks and held it in her hands she knew what she wanted to make and to this day Allie is particularly drawn to carving the subtleties of women’s faces. Classes with Nathan Jackson, Marvin Oliver, Bill Holm, Delores Churchill and Steve Brown have provided her with additional resources.

41

Native Artists of the Anchorage Area

Jerry Lieb Jr. 3240 Penland Parkway #378 Anchorage AK 99508

907 310 8073

Laura Wright Alaskan Parkys

907 310 8073

Alaska Eskimo Arts Franklin F. Matchian www.eskimodavinci.com

Anchorage

Photo: WEIO 50th anniversary collection www.weio.org

Meet the artists of Anchorage!

42

Native Artists of the Anchorage Area Photo: WEIO 50th anniversary

Moses Uksuq Wasslie PO Box 211224

907 333 3069

IYA’S

907 248 2850

Bryon Lloyd Amos Alaska Eskimo Arts

907 929 7736

43

Anchorage

Alaska Village Initiatives Charles Parker

907 274 5400

Jan L. See

907 279 5003

ALASKAN NATIVE APPAREL Lisa L. Powell

907 350 9858

44

Meet the artists of Anchorage!

UPik Art Moses Uksuq Wasslie,

Fine Art, Carving, Design, Creativity, eskimoe@alaska.net Moses Wassilie was born in Nunapitchuk and graduated from Mt. Edgecumbe boarding school in 1967, where he first began painting portraits. He studied painting at the Institute of American Indian Arts in Santa Fe, and carving at the University of Alaska Fairbanks with Ron Senungetuk.

He creates contemporary artwork based on traditional designs, using materials based on the theme and current events, (mostly memorials-now.) My Mother and Father lived the traditional life style of the Yup’ik culture in subsistence living. My first painting was in 1958 and I’ve been doing it every since. Photo Right: M Wasslie

Alaska Village Initiatives, Charles Parker www.akvillage.com

IYA’S, Julian & Veronica Iya

Ivory, Bone, Baleen, Beads and Skin Sewing iyajulian@hotmail.com

Bryon Lloyd Amos

Alaska Eskimo Arts

Specializing in Exclusive Native Art, Ivory, Whalebone, Soapstone & Baleen, Masks, Figurines, Corporate Art, Custom orders available by request, blamos@alaska.net

Alaska Eskimo Arts My name is Franklin F. Matchian, a fourth generation Eskimo carver originally from a small Bering Sea Eskimo village of Chevak, which is located in between the Yukon and Kuskokwim rivers along the coast.

Alaska Village Initiatives, a selfsupporting corporation organized in 1968 by and for Rural Alaskans, promotes the economic well-being of Rural Alaskans though economic development, assistance, networking, advocacy, and education.

ALASKAN NATIVE APPAREL

Lisa L. Powell, The Kuspuk Lady, The Traditional Alaskan Native Outfit, lisapowell@gci.net

The items in the photo to the right are called Kuspuks,Guspuqs, or Atiguluks the traditional Alaskan Native outfit for berry picking and dancing.

45 Jerry Lieb Jr. Drums /Art by:

Sivaluaq Jerry Leib Jr. is an Yup’ik/Inupiaq Eskimo. He learned his artwork by the native elders, a drum maker and his grand parents. He started making his artwork as a hobby and it turned out to be full time. Jerry blieves the drum is the only instrument we have.

Each painting he puts on his drums has a meaning, mostly stories and legends told by his grandparents. Jerry is much more than an artist, he is a drum maker, storyteller, artist, drummer with a dance group, and a song writer.

His drums have been collected and sent all over the world. He has done many different shows in Alaska and other states in the USA.

Laura Wright Alaskan Parkys Wearable Alaskan Art, Beautiful Eskimo Style Summer & Winter Parkas, Laura’s Originals NW Corner of 4th & D My company

was established in 1947, in Fairbanks, Alaska by my grandmother, Laura Wright. I’m Sheila Ezelle, her oldest granddaughter and I purchased the company in 1985. I was born and raised in Fairbanks where temperatures of -50 degrees below zero for weeks at a time wasn’t unusual.

Parkys (pronounced “par-kees”) have to be functional and warm - beautiful is a bonus. Attention to detail, color, texture and fur make for an exquisite piece of Wearable Alaskan Art. (cont. on page 149)

Anchorage

Jan See, Tlingit artist from Sitka, is a self-taught silver carver. He is from the Raven tribe and his clan is the Gaanaxteidi, “Wood Worm,” from the Whale House of the Chilkat in Klukwan. In 1974, he became interested in carving after he watched a man carve a pair of silver earrings at an art show in Anchorage. See asked the man about learning how to carve, but the man didn’t know anyone who taught carving. As he watched, See asked questions about the types of tools the man used and how he used them. Although See never saw the man again, he was determined to learn how to carve. He began to teach himself to carve, even improvising some of the tools he could not buy. See once used a piece of copper inlaid in wood, placed on a plastic “Lazy Susan” to help him get the rotating action he needed to carve effectively. He credits his mother, Mable Pike, a well-known beader and moccasin maker for encouraging him to continue with his carving. See creates sterling silver artwork including bracelets, earrings, pins and pendants.

Meet the artists of Upper Alaska!

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Native Artists of Upper Alaska

Lenwood Saccheus 907 333 3416

Rose Albert

907 338 0079 www.entertainmealaska.com Lbrt_rs@yahoo.com

Nelodeyoo, LLC EMMA HILDEBRAND PO Box 498, Northway, AK 99764

907 240 3728

emmahildebrand@alaska.net

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Robin P. Fields haidacarver@yahoo.com

907 884 5221

Dennis Pungowiyi 907 244 2053 ulappungowiyi@ hotmail.com

Karen Pungowiyi Nguyen 1850 Bellevue Loop

907 349 0416

Anchorage

Photo: WEIO 50th Anniversary photo album www.weio.com

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Meet the artists of Upper Alaska!

Lenwood Saccheus A sculptor of whalebone forms he uses a circular chart to explain the masks he makes. Those masks which include hoops have an inner circle representative of the Earth and an outer circle representing the heavens. Radiating out from these hoops are animal appendages of the seal, walrus, whale, birds and feathers.

Rose Albert

Carves and paints realistic Ravens, Eagles, Caribou and Moose on her cedar boxes choosing beaded Athabascan floral designs around the panel of the boxes.

Rose Albert is an Athabascan Indian born on the Nowitna River that flows into the mighty Yukon River and raised about 40 miles down river from Ruby, Alaska. Ruby is a tiny western town established as a supply point for the gold miners in the 1900’s.

It now marks the halfway point on the Northern route for the Iditarod Sled Dog Race. Rose was drawing before she even learned to write her name and went from drawing angels to wildlife in elementary school. Rose earned an associate of fine arts degree from the Institute of American Indian in Santa Fe, New Mexico in 1981.

She sought out the Southeast and Northeast Native designs to bring Athabascan stories to life on deerskin drums. She was looking for abstract designs. Albert started carving boxes of yellow and red cedar, hemlock and pine. She changes images of the eagle, and killer whale as much as possible without losing the integrity of the traditional design. Right Photo: by R Albert

Nelodeyoo, LLC EMMA HILDEBRAND Emma was born in Northway, Alaska in 1962. At the age of seven, she started skin sewing, and beading which she learned from her mother.

Her mother grew up in the McGrath area. She was taught the art of Caribou-hair tufting from Dixie Alexander. Emma has taught beading and skin sewing for years, and soon added tufting to her workshop. Emma spent most of her life in Northway and also taught at the University of Alaska Fairbanks, Yukon and Kuskokwim Rivers and also in Tok Alaska. A few years ago she moved to Anchorage and found a whole new population of crafter’s who were eagerly interested in learning the art of fufting with caribou hair. Emma is now an instructor in beading, caribou hair tuffing, and sewing at UAF and UAA.

49 Robin P. Fields

Robin Fields

Karen Pungowiyi Nguyen Seal Skin Sewings, Beading

Dennis Pungowiyi

Ivory Carvings Dennis Qallnaq Pungowiyi is a Siberian Yupik of the Qiwaghmiit Clan. His grandparents are Alfred & Romala Tumbloo both born and raised on St. Lawrence Island located in the Bering Sea. Dennis’ mother Jean Pungowiyi moved to Nome, Alaska in the late sixties, where Dennis was born and raised. He has been carving in the Siberian Yupik Eskimo tradition for more than 12 years. He studied with Harry Koozaata and many other respected carvers. Now residing in Ketchikan with his wife Marcie and son Ulaputaaq, Dennis takes great pride in his carving and his heritage.

He would like to introduce you to his culture and artwork.

ber 6th, 1970, in Seattle, Washington; and raised in Craig, Alaska. I spent the early years of my life learning subsistence living skills, such as fishing and hunting from my parents and relatives.

As a youth I pensively studied Pacific Northwest Art, or Totemic Art in local surroundings of Prince of Wales Island, in history books, and from other local artists. When in high school I attended the Sitka Fine Arts camp and become hooked on art. My early work consisted of drawings of totemic designs found in popular art books and publications.

Eventually, however, I began creating my own designs and pursued art as more than a serious hobby.

Laura Wright Alaska Parkys cont.

I like the challenge of taking all the different textures, colors and patterns from the trims, furs and fabrics and creating something beautiful.

Past customers bring in their friends and relatives to purchase parkys because of the quality, durability and beauty.

We have made parkys for many famous people over the years such as: Elvis Presley, Burl Ives and Willie Nelson.

And groups such as: the Winter Olyimpic Committee of 1988. The Alaska Democtratic Convention Delegates for 2008 wore our 50th Anniversary Statehood parky’s.

Anchorage

Alaskan Native Artist, New & Old Ivory, baleen, Bone, Antler, Custom Designs, Custom Orders I was born on Novem-

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ALASKA NATIVE MEDICAL CENTER

Auxiliary Heritage Collection

and Craft Shop

The Heritage Collection at the Alaska Native Medical Center is a National

Treasure. It’s showcases, which are spread over five floors, contain the best work by the best people. The Craft Shop is known as “the people’s shopping place” a place that has long served rural artists. It is a place that over the last two decades has provided $1,000,000 in college scholarships through its Leaders of Tomorrow program, to about 265 Anchorage and Valley Native students.

The non-profit Craft Shop and the Heritage Collection have been run for the past 34 years by volunteers Agnes Coyle, Jeanne Dougherty and Karen Vogeler with a staff in any given week of about 40 volunteers, swelling to 60 during the popular Christmas bazaar. Their collective knowledge of Native art and crafts and the families that produce them state-wide spans generations. Their real interest though is the people.

“People do not realize how truly exotic these people are and how remarkable it is to be able to know them and learn from them,” says Coyle.

Unlike a retail store that must keep its eye on the bottom line, Dougherty, Coyle and Vogeler can afford to make decisions from the heart, such as opting to carry all work brought in by a sick elder who would have difficulty marketing elsewhere or choosing to help out a family they know is in trouble. This attitude has helped the

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Anchorage

‘A National Treasure’

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52 shop earn its official name, Tausigniaviat, which means “the people’s shopping place,” and a strong reputation for serving Alaska’s indigenous population.

All over Alaska they are known as “the ladies from the hospital.” People kept saying to me,”You have to go to the hospital to see the Native art collection.” I really thought it would be your typical hospital gift shop but nothing could have prepared me for what lay in store. The shop bristles with baskets and dolls, masks and ivory carvings. Coiled grass baskets in the Nelson Island style line the shelves, along with smaller grass baskets from Hooper Bay, traditional Kuskokwim Delta baskets overlaid with seal gut in geometrical patterns, and delicate Aleut baskets from the Aleutian chain.

Dolls in seal-gut parkas vie for space with their smaller cousins carved from horn, with sealskin coats that slide off to reveal armless horn torsos.

Ivory birds by King Island carver Teddy Mayac ruffle their etched and inked feathers beneath the counter glass, on a shelf above a circle of ivory swans in flight by carver Justin Tiulana.

Although the shop carries work by master artists such as Sheldon Bogenrife, Ron Apangalook and Daisy Demientieff, it is known for its authentic crafts.

That the ladies are able to make decisions from the heart carries over to the way they run their scholarship program as well. Instigated by Jeanne Dougherty in 1984, the scholarships are set up so they can be renewable. If students need to discontinue school to go to work they can reapply at anytime. The program has helped some students get degrees over six or eight years and is committed to supporting students who encounter obstacles.

“We will be there for them if they reapply and want to continue their studies,” Dougherty said. “Applications range about 10 per year,” Dougherty said. Amounts have ranged from $500 to $1000, to $2000.

Some students connection to the shop goes back to the arts and crafts their grandparents made and sold there.

Donna Sallee, who works in public relations for Cook Inlet Tribal Council, was a scholarship student for the first time in 1987. Her childhood memories include accompanying her grandmother, skin sewer Lena Ahnangnatoguk of Shishmaref, on visits to the old Native hospital on Third Avenue.

“I remember going to the old shop and that little closet was just packed. She would just sign an X for her name when she dropped off her slippers.” Mary Sallee, Donna’s mother sells her work at the shop, as do her uncles and cousins.

Donna earned a bachelor’s degree from Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff, becoming the first on her mother’s side of the family to hold a degree.

“I’m very proud of that, considering that my grandparents were reindeer

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of the artists who produced it and those of the people who recognized the importance of preserving it. It is a collection all about people. The message they hope to convey is one of love and pride: that even the simplest thing has something to tell.

It has been rewarding to the auxiliary to install the art collection where people live, work and heal. Patients from the remote villages needing medical treatment in Anchorage instantly have a feeling of belonging, of being at home.

The Alaska Native Medical Center is one of the finest examples of combining art and architecture to create a healing atmosphere and truly is a National Treasure.

Anchorage

herders. My mom instilled in us how worthy it is to get a college degree.”

Dentists, artists, teachers and musicians - all college graduates helped by the scholarships - have borne out Dougherty’s vision of the Leaders of Tomorrow program.

Besides the craft shop on the main floor, there are large showcases located by the elevator on each of the five floors. These showcases house the Heritage Collection and the items inside them are not for sale.

As beautiful examples of Native art flowed into the shop, the volunteer-managers felt the need to retain outstanding, representative examples for a permanent collection. The Heritage Collection is there for visitors from all over the world to see and most especially for the Native people of Alaska to come and view their heritage.

It is a warm place. It is a friendly place. The showcases accent the beautiful woodwork of the medical center appropriately and offer a focal point for those in need of a little soul searching or a comforting distraction during a moment of need.

Between each floor nestled comfortably in the walls of the stairwells, are smaller displays showcasing tiny items as if they were the crown jewels of some long forgotten kingdom; which in a way they are.

When the medical center was constructed, the ladies were allowed to incorporate their vision of how they they would like to see the art displayed. What you see is their vision. They worked with the architect to come up with the ideas and he in turn, incorporated them into the plans.

What began as a dream in 1987, during the planning stages for the new Medical Center, is now the Alaska Native Medical Center Auxiliary Heritage Collection.

This is a collection of native art that grew from the heart. From the hearts

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54 During my visit to Alaska I had the opportunity to meet over 100 artisans, most at work in their studios or homes, others I met at shows or in galleries from Ketchikan to Anchorage. In my mind they are all National Treaures. The Alaska Native Medical Center Auxiliary Heritage Collection and Craft Shop is right up there beside ‘Treasures’ like Nathan Jackson, Reggie Peterson, Anna Brown Ehlers and Wayne Price, all guiding spirits and culture bearers of this amazing art form we collectively call Northwest Coast Indian & Eskimo Art. The Auxiliary operates the Gift Shop where you may buy a variety of Alaska Native art. The Gift Shop is open Monday through Friday from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. and the first and third Saturday of each month from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

CREDIT: Parts of this article were taken from a story written by Rose Cox for the Anchorage Daily News.

4315 Diplomacy Dr. • Anchorage, AK 99508 • Phone: 907-563-2662 www.anmc.org

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Anchorage

Alaska State Council On The Arts The Alaska State Council on the Arts is a state agency that fosters the development of the arts for all Alaskans through education, partnerships, grants and services. The impetus for creating the Alaska State Council on the Arts came from Washington, DC, where Congress, recognizing the need to encourage expression and communication through the performing, visual, and literary arts, established the National Foundation on the Arts and Humanities. The new law called for Federal assistance to arts agencies in all 50 states. For those states that had not yet formed an arts council (of which Alaska was one), a one-time-only grant of $25,000 was made available to organize an agency and conduct a survey of all existing facilities, organizations, and individuals engaging in the arts within the state.

The Alaska Legislature formed ASCA in 1966 “to ensure that the role for the arts in the life of our communities will continue to grow and will play an ever more significant part in the welfare and educational experience of our citizens.”

Funds for ASCA programs and services are provided by the Alaska State Legislature, the National Endowment for the Arts and private donations. Since its inception, the Council’s budget has ranged from $5.5 million to $900,000. It has provided over 4,000 grants totaling more than $42 million to organizations and individuals in nearly every community in the state.

See the First Nations art display at the Anchorage Airport funded by the ASCA.

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Anchorage

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Alaska Federation of Natives Arts & Crafts Show The show in 2019 will be held in Fairbanks at the Carlson Center. There will be over 90 exhibitors and 200 artists attending this three day event from October 17-19.

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Anchorage

Samantha Goodwin (native artist)

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Eva Bryant

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Poetry in skin

She can be contacted at 907 688-4501 or at rebryant@gci.net.

Douglas Yates Douglas Yates is from the small and misty fishing communities of Metlakatla and Prince of Wales Island in Southeast Alaska. He is Tsimshian and Haida of the Killer Whale Clan.

Doug apprenticed as an artist under Master Carver and Tsimshian Artist, David Boxley, from Metlakatla, Alaska. He has an Associates of Arts degree in Theology. Doug is renown for his hand-engraved copper clan crest shields. www.douglasyates.org

Anchorage

Anchorage Daily News Eva Bryant excels in skin sewing, meticulously joining the leather and fur into practical clothing. Her skin work is notable for its simple, un-ostentatious beauty that, for all its museum-quality craftmanship, remains in touch with its utilitarian purpose. “I’ve been sewing since I can remember,” she said. “I guess whatever my mother did, I wanted to do.”

A few years ago, she and a friend received a grant from the Alaska State Council on the Arts to learn Athabaskan-style beading. Her first pair of beaded slippers took a year, she said, in part because she had several other projects under way.

Bryant has been a Yup’ik bilingual tutor in her home town, an artist in the school with the Anchorage School District and one of the instructors in the Alaska Native Heritage Center’s Master Artist program Much of her time is occupied with filling individual orders from connoisseurs who are familiar with her work. That can make Bryant originals hard to find on the shelves. Some can be found from time to time at the Alaska Native Arts Foundation gallery, 500 W. 6th Ave., the Anchorage Museum gift shop and at the gift shop at the Alaska Native Heritage Center, where Bryant is scheduled to be one of the demonstrating artists on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays in June.

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Anchorage

Ursula Paniyak, a second-generation doll maker from Chevak, displays some of her “Best Friends” doll sets.

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CHUGIAK

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Eklutna Village Historical Park Chugiak

Twenty-six miles from Anchorage, is the historical location of the Dena’ina Athabaskan people. Dating back to 1650, this site has tiny buildings called “Spirit Houses” atop the graves of many generations of deceased. Next door, the Heritage House Museum is filled with photographs and craft displays portraying the native lifestyle and Russian influence. The oldest building in the greater Anchorage area (dated back to 1830) is the St. Nicholas Church, located in this park. Open May through September. ehp@alaska.net 907-688-6026

Cranberry Studio Laura J. Lagstrom “Ah-gha-dtai-yuk” Artist 23108 Whispering Birch Drive, Chugiak, AK 907 688 9043, lagstrom@gci.net

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Alaska Indian Arts (Con’t from page 103) raven; a hooked beak was the eagle’s symbol A hooked beak curving under to touch the mouth was the sign of the hawk. Bear, beaver, whale, wolf, mountain goat, and sometimes fish and insects played a role in tribal mythology.

But Northwest Coast Indians didn’t restrict their art to masks alone. In their hands, ordinary possessions became works of art. The wooden walls of communal houses were open books recording tribal history in glowing symbolism. Cooking utensils, dug-out canoes, articles of clothing, fishing lures, tools and weapons, all displayed the artistic talent and perception of their makers. “This is the tradition we are trying to renew, Heinmiller explains. “These people are born artists, he says. “All they need is a chance.”

This article frrst appeared in the Humble Way , a quarterly publication of the Humble Oil & Refining Company in 1972. Carl Heinmiller HAS since passed away. His son Lee now carries on the tradition established by his father 50 years ago at Alaska Indian Arts. Many fine artists have passed through AIA and continue to do so. Next time you are in Haines, drop by the big white house on the hill and pay them a visit.

Donna’s Native Arts & Crafts

PO Box 670422 Chugiak, AK 99567

907 688 2997

WASILLA

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Named After Chief Wasilla

Susan Henry (Below) 1500 Lacy Loop, Wasila, AK 99654

907 376 8388 sghenry@mtaoline.net

Chugiak

Wasilla is named after Chief Wasilla, a local Dena’ina chief. The MatanuskaSusitna valley was eventually settled by the Dena’ina Alaska natives who utilized the fertile lands and fishing opportunities of Cook Inlet. The Dena’ina are one of the eleven sub-groups comprising the indigenous Athabaskan Indian groups extending down Canada’s western coast. There are two sources cited for the name Wasilla, one being derived from a Dena’ina word meaning “breath of air” while another stating Dena’ina derived it from the Russian name “Vasili.”

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Patrick Lind was raised in a small fishing village located 250 miles off of Kodiak Island. Patrick says, “My life has led me to be a commercial freelance artist.” Being surrounded by the rugged coastal region inspires me as an artist to take pride in my culture. Intensive research and study allows me to recreate histories past, rendering moments captive on canvas and art paper. My skills cover a number of mediums, wood, ivory, baleen, soapstone and acrylic paints.”

Percy C. Avugiak Alaska Native Artist Silver Hand Artist Bachelor of Fine Arts Graduate Abstract Native Paintings Landscape & Childrens Painting Traditional Humor/ Comical Masks Carvings, Earrings, Prints & Postcards 907 677 6825 percyavugiak@yahoo.com

HOMER

69

“halibut fishing capital of the world”

Maritime National Wildlife Refuge and the Kachemak Bay Research Reserve own the Alaska Islands and Ocean Visitor Center containing interpretive displays. Visit them at www.islandsandocean.org your window to the largest seabird refuge in the world, with Kachemak Bay right

Pratt Museum The national award-winning Pratt Museum explores the art, science and culture of Kachemak Bay.

3779 Bartlett Street, Homer, AK 99603

907 235 8635,

www.prattmuseum.org

Chugiak

Tiller digs indicate that early Alutiiq people probably camped in the Homer area, although their villages were on the south side of Kachemak Bay. Homer has long been known as the “halibut fishing capital of the world.” Halibut and salmon sport fishing; tourism, including paddling, boating, hiking, camping and other outdoor recreation; and commercial fishing are the dominant industries in the Homer area. Homer cohosted the 2006 Arctic Winter Games, and every other year the Pratt Museum hosts The Gathering, where Alaska Natives from the region and from all over Alaska share their cultures. The Alaska

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3 generations of artists connect Stone Age to Internet Age By MIKE DUNHAM, mdunham@adn.com Peter Lind Sr. knows how to build a sod house. He grew up spending winters on the Alaska Peninsula in one that was not terribly different from those used by his Stone Age ancestors. But that’s not why he’s famous. Pete Sr. sets the standard for making practical and elegant Alutiiq hunting visors eagerly sought by collectors and museums around the world. In May, he received a major artist award from the Rasmuson Foundation. For many years he was a commercial fisherman, following the trade of his Swedish father. But he was also a skilled carver of wood and ivory, using a cribbage board one time as the down payment on a fishing boat.

And he was fascinated by his mother’s Alutiiq roots. “I always wanted to learn my culture,” he said. www.adn.com/alaskamasters/story/845941.html

Bits of Alaska We are a small family owned and operated business. We were both born and raised in Alaska.

Peter Lind Jr. is of Aleut/ Alutiiq decent, born in Dillingham. Susan Lind is of Alutiiq decent, born in Kodiak. Each piece of ivory jewelry is cut by Peter and beaded by Susan, to create the beautiful pieces of elegance that are presented to you. All carvings are also created

by Peter. www.xyznet/-slind

907 235 7714

SELDOVIA

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Seldovia Village Tribe Chugiak Seldovia is home to the Seldovia Village Tribe, a federally recognized Alaska Native Tribe and is also home to a for-profit Native village corporation, the Seldovia Native Association, Incorporated.

The Seldovia Village Tribe has a unique history and their people are a blend of several native cultures including Aleut, Yupik, Alutiiq and Athabascan peoples.

Seldovia Bay’s geographic location as the boundary between the ancient Alutiiq and Athabascans, and the actions of nineteenth century Russian Americans created the blend. From the 1850’s Russian traders moved Aleuts and Alutiiq from their homelands to a new fur buying/trading post established at Seldovia Bay. In 2009, the Seldovia Village Tribe unveiled a new permanent museum in Seldovia depicting the culture and history of the Dena’ina, Aleut and Sugpiaq peoples who have inhabited the Seldovia area for millennia. The museum tells of the origins, lifeways and the traditional and contemporary subsistence activities of the Native tribes that called the Seldovia area home. It also speaks of the later Russian influence and how that shaped Seldovia as we know it today. In addition to the cultural artifacts and stories, specimens of flora and fauna from the area are displayed to give visitors from afar a glimpse at Seldovia’s natural abundance.

The Seldovia Museum & Visitor Center is located at 206 Main Street, Seldovia, Alaska and is open from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. daily. www.svt.org

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Across the BAY, a WORLD away Your adventure Starts Here

Begin your trip to Seldovia by flying into Anchorage and staying overnight at our beautiful Dimond Center Hotel near the airport. The Dimond Center Hotel is a Boutique-style hotel 6 miles from downtown Anchorage.

The next morning your tickets will be awaiting you at the desk for the

new 150 passenger M/V Kachemak Voyager that will get you to the historic community of Seldovia via the port of Homer. Cruise past Seldovia Village Tribe’s ancestral lands, hear about our history and culture from our on-board naturalist as you navigate past Gull Island and through scenic Eldridge Passage. Step off the Kachemak Voyager into a small community that you can enjoy on foot.

Seldovia, is one of Alaska’s up and coming destinations for the young at heart, it’s off the road system and steeped in history. Photograph flowers in the community gardens scattered throughout Main Street, let your kids play in Lollipop Park, explore the “Old Boardwalk,” enjoy lunch along the waterfront, shop for locally produced jams and jelly’s at the Alaska Tribal Cache and take an energizing hike along the Otterbahn trail before you return to Homer. For that perfect day in Seldovia choose the Ferry/Fly transportation package.

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www.alaskapureberry.com 800 270 7810

Chugiak

Alaska Pure Berry Products Our delicious handmade products are crafted from wild berries and flowers found on the pristine spruce-clad slopes overlooking Alaska’s Seldovia Bay. We make all of our Alaska Pure Berry creations the same way our ancestors did, using fresh flowers and berries rich in vitamins and antioxidants.We hope you enjoy the exceptional taste of our Alaska Pure Berry Products as much as we enjoy preparing them for you. We guarantee your satisfaction and delight – our tradition demands it!

Plan An Event At Our Conference Center

The state-of-the-art Seldovia Conference Center has a twenty four hundred square foot meeting room that can suit almost any event need. It also includes an additional four hundred and fifty square foot breakout room for additional usage and a 1,500 square foot open deck overlooking the water, perfect for outdoor entertaining. Our Conference Centre staffs full service event planners that will help you get your team to Seldovia and find accommodation. They even coordinate a variety of leisure activities for all to enjoy while they are here. Activities include: hiking, fishing, local tours, berry picking, and tide pooling. We can also facilitate activities such as bike riding, ATV rentals, deep-sea fishing, skiff tours, kayaking, whale watching, and childcare. The planners are on-call during your event to help out in any way you need.

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74 We can provide a top-notch catering service. Our caterers and bakers are local and have extensive experience creating menus highlighting regional cuisine.

The Conference Center is Handicap accessible, and is located in the middle of town, within walking distance from the majority of the local restaurants and hotels.

We also provide a daycare facility, wireless Internet connections, use of an extensive fitness center, teleconferencing, overhead projectors, laser printer capabilities, and other equipment.

Our Conference Center is set apart from all others by its breath taking waterfront view of Seldovia Bay and it’s majestic counterpart, Elephant Rock. Of all the amazing and naturally beautiful views you can find in Seldovia, it is one of the best. It is not an uncommon occurrence to view wildlife such as sea otters and bald eagles enjoying the sun in the great Alaskan outdoors, or the busy coming and going of our local fleet of fishermen. 907.435.3233 www.seldoviaconferencecenter.com

KODIAK

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The Ancestral Land Of The Sugpiaq

in order to harvest the area’s vast population of sea otters for their prized pelts. Because the First Native cultures revered this animal and would never harm it, wars with and enslavement of the Aleuts occurred during this era. The Kodiak Alutiiq Dancers continue to perform in the tradition of their ancestors.

Kodiak

The Kodiak Archipelago has been home to native cultures for over 7000 years.

In their language, “Kadiak” means island. The descendents of these peoples still occupy the island and are considered Alutiiq, a term used to describe both their language and culture. In 1763, the Russian explorer Stephan Glotov discovered the island followed by the English Captain Cook fifteen years later who first penned “Kodiak” in his journals in 1778. The Russian fur trapper Alexander Baranov established a settlement and built a warehouse on what is now the city of Kodiak

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76 The Alutiiq, also called Pacific Yupik or Sugpiaq, are a southern coastal people of the Native peoples of Alaska.

Their language is called Sugstun. They are not to be confused with the Aleuts, who live further to the southwest, including along the Aleutian Islands. They traditionally lived a coastal lifestyle, subsisting primarily on ocean resources such as salmon, halibut, and whale, as well as rich land resources such as berries and land mammals. Before European contact with Russian fur traders, the Alutiiq lived in semi-subterranean homes called barabaras. The Alutiiq today live in coastal fishing communities.

Alfred Naumoff

Naumoff’s training relfects the Alutiiq tradition of apprenticing young carver to experienced male relatives. MASKS, KAYAKS JEWELERY

907 355 8520, Kodiak, AK

77 Artists: Lena Amason: carving, painting, & drawing

Jessica Christiansen: bead work, skin sewing Leona Haakanson-Crow: beading (headdresses, baskets, and spirit pouches) Sven Haakanson, Jr: wood carving, photography, silver jewelry, and logo design Doug Inga: carving, drum making Tanya Inga: drawing (ink and pencil) and mask carving, tote bags Helm Johnson & Alisha Drabek: metal art Bethany Knagin: painting, drawing, photography

Andrew Abyo Andrew is known for doing historical research, which helps him to add authentic details to each of his works. Andrew specializes in making Alutiiq bentwood visors, atlatls, harpoons, full size paddles, traditional games and baidarka carvings. He has apprenticed with Alutiiq bentwood carver Peter Lind to learn the art of visor making, and studied Alutiiq masks with carver Perry Eaton. www.andrewabyo.com

Kodiak

Coral Chernoff: ivory jewlery, basket weaving, carving

South West Unalaska 81 Kokhanok 83 Dillingham 85 Bethel 87

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The Kodiak National Wildlife Refuge

The Kodiak National Wildlife Refuge covers two-thirds of the island, offering protected habitat for world-famous Kodiak brown bears. These bears are the world’s largest carnivorous land mammals, and should be treated with caution and respect.

Only six species of land mammals occur naturally within Kodiak National Wildlife Refuge. These include: Kodiak brown bear (Ursus arctus middendorffi), red fox (Vulpes vulpes), river otter (Lutra canadensis), ermine (Mustela erminea), tundra vole (Microtus oeconomus), and little brown bat (Myotis lucifugus). Kodiak bears have been extensively studied, and much is known of their biology and habitat requirements.

ABOVE: Over 3,000 Kodiak brown bear roam the rugged coastline of this Refuge

In contrast, ecology of other native mammals is minimally documented.

Afognak Island On nearby Afognak Island you can watch or participate in archaeological digs of Native sites, view wildlife, or enjoy excellent hunting and fishing. Originally a traditional Alutiiq village made up of a series of settlements along the beach, the community of Afognak was nearly destroyed by the Good Friday earthquake of 1964.

UNALASKA

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“Ounalashka” meaning ‘Near the Peninsula’

Museum Of The Aleutians The Museum of the Aleutians preserves and shares the cultural and artistic heritage of the Aleutian Island area. Permanent exhibits focus on Aleut/Unangan prehistory and ethnographic items, the RussianAmerica period, the late 19th century, and WWII in the Aleutians. Changing exhibits include traveling exhibits on regional history and art. A Museum Store is one of the area’s best gift shops.

314 Salmon Way, Unalaska, AK 99685

(907) 581-5150 www.aleutians.org

Unalaska

Unalaska is a city in the Aleutians West Census Area of the Unorganized Borough of the U.S. state of Alaska. Unalaska is located on Unalaska Island and neighboring Amaknak Island in the Aleutian Islands off of mainland Alaska. Dutch Harbor lies within the city limits of Unalaska and is connected to Unalaska by a bridge.

The Aleut or Unangan have lived on Unalaska Island for thousands of years. The Russian fur trade reached Unalaska when Stepan Glotov and his crew arrived on August 1, 1759. The Unangan people, who were the first to inhabit the island of Unalaska, named it “Ounalashka” meaning ‘Near the Peninsula.’ The name Unalaska is probably an English variation of this name. The regional native corporation has adopted this moniker, and is known as the Ounalashka Corporation.

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South West

Bristol Bay Native Association Bristol Bay Native Association. Inc. is a Tribal Consortium, made up of 31 Tribes and is organized as a non-profit corporation to provide a variety of educational, social, economic and related services to the Native people of Bristol Bay region of Alaska.

The Mission of BBNA is to maintain and promote a strong regional organization supported by the Tribes of Bristol Bay to serve as a unified voice to provide social, economic, cultural, educational opportunities and initiatives to benefit the Tribes and the Native people of the Bristol Bay. Our Villages ~Aleknagik ~Chignik Bay ~Chignik Lagoon ~Chignik Lake ~Clarks Point ~Curyung ~Egegik ~Ekuk ~Ekwok ~Igiugig ~Iliamna ~Ivanof Bay ~Kanatak ~King Salmon ~Kokhanok ~Koliganek ~Levelock ~Manokotak ~Naknek ~New Stuyahok ~Newhalen ~Nondalton ~Pedro Bay ~Perryville ~Pilot Point ~Port Heiden ~Portage Creek ~South Naknek ~Togiak ~Twin Hills ~Ugashik www.bbna.com/ Nondalton Koliganek

Iliamna

New Stuyahok Twin Hills

Ekwok Dillingham

Togiak

Knugnak Manokotak

Charles Point Ekuk

Bristol Bay

Portage Creek Naknek

Pilot Point

Port Helden

Chignik Lagoon Chignik Lake Chignik

King Salmon

Egegik

Ugashik

Perryville

Igiugig

Levelock

South Naknek

Ivanor Bay

Newhalen

Aleknagik

Kanatak

Pedro Bay

Kokhanok

KOKHANOK

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Original Site Was Called “Isigiug”

The Nielsen’s (Marlene & Gary)

My dolls and masks only have features on their faces representing my grandma. Her name was Anna Andrew. She was blind and my biggest insperation. She sewed, split fish and picked berries My goal as an artist is to help our youth on remembering who we are and where we come from. My husband and sons also carve wood, ivory, and make spears and knives. I am Yup’ik.

PO Box 1089 Kokhanok, Ak99606 Kippy70_558@hotmail.com, chaguun@yahoo.com

Kokhanok

Kokhanok is located on the south shore of Iliamna Lake, 37 km (23 miles) south of Iliamna and 88 miles northeast of King Salmon. Iliamna Lake is the largest lake in Alaska. Iliamna is said to be “the name of a mythical great blackfish supposed to inhabit this lake, which bites holes in the bidarkas of bad natives.”The name Iliamna is derived from the Inland Dena’ina Athabascan name “Nila Vena” which means island’s lake. The population is a mixture of Aleut, Yupik and Athabaskan. Unlike Iliamna, the sport fishing industry doesn’t reach Kokhanok, and the economic activity is based on subsistence hunting and fishing. A federallyrecognized tribe is located in the community -- the Kokhanok Village. Some residents travel to the Bristol Bay area each summer to fish. Many families have a summer fish camp near the Gibraltar River. Salmon, trout, grayling, moose, bear, rabbit, porcupine, and seal are utilized. Kokhanok is accessible by air and water from Anchorage, Iliamna, and King Salmon.

South West

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Togiak National Wildlife Refuge Dominated by the Ahklun Mountains in the north and the cold waters of Bristol Bay to the south, Togiak National Wildlife Refuge confronts the traveler with a kaleidoscope of landscapes. The natural forces that have shaped this land range from the violent and powerful to the geologically patient. Earthquakes and volcanoes filled the former role, and their marks can still be found, but it was the gradual advance and retreat of glacial ice that carved many of the physical features of this refuge.

The refuge is home to 48 mammal species, 31 of which are terrestrial and 17 marine. More than 150,000 caribou from two herds, the Nushagak Peninsula and the Mulchatna, make use of refuge lands, which they share with wolves, moose, brown and black bears, wolverines, red foxes, marmots, beavers, and porcupines, among other land mammals. Seals, sea lions, walrus and whales are found at various times of year along the refuge’s 600 miles of coastline.

Togiak National Wildlife Refuge conserves habitat for at least 201 staging, migrating, or breeding bird species. Bird species groups include landbirds, shorebirds, seabirds, raptors, and waterfowl (including the northern pintail). Birds from the North American Pacific Flyway and several Asiatic routes funnel through the area. Our knowledge of local birds is expanding! Birds are constantly being added to our species list, including the Steller’s sea eagle in 2001. Birds that were not previously known to breed in the area, including the Northern hawk owl, have been documented to do so. In addition, our knowledge of abundance and distribution is being fine-tuned as we add to our database. Sightings reported by the public are important contribution to this knowledge.

Togiak National Wildlife Refuge protects habitat that produces nearly 3 million chinook, sockeye, chum, pink and coho salmon, and 27 other fish species. These fish species are the primary subsistence resource for residents of seven local villages. Fishery resources in this area of Alaska are economically important for commercial fisheries valued at over 8 million dollars, as well as a 6 million dollar sport fishery. Ensuring that adequate numbers of each fish species are allowed to spawn in each drainage is key to this region’s aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems. www.togiak.fws.gov

DILLINGHAM

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Togiak National Wildlife Refuge

outdoors.com

Fritze’s Furs

Fritze’s Furs by Annie and Todd Fritze specializes in beaver mittens and fur hats. The majority of the fur sewn by the artists are from beaver, fox, otter, marten, and wolves that were primarily trapped locally by Todd and their boys Bem & Bryan. The fur is then commercially tanned.

907 842 3476

fritze5@nushtel.net

Dillingham

The area around Dillingham was inhabited by the Yupik people. It became a trade center when Russians built Alexandrovski Redoubt (Post) there in 1818. The area was called Nushagak, after the Nushagak River. Nushagak became a place where different groups from the Kuskokwim River, the Alaska Peninsula and the Cook Inlet came to trade or live at the post. In 1837, a Russian Orthodox mission was built at Nushagak. Dillingham is an important gateway to many eco-tourism opportunities. This includes Wood-Tikchik State Park, the largest state park in the United States known for its great fishing opportunities. Dillingham is also the headquarters for the Togiak National Wildlife Refuge, home to walruses, seals, terrestrial mammals, migratory birds and fish. PHOTO:www.bristolbay-

Norton Sound 86

Kotlik

Chuloonawick

Bill Moores Hamilton

Emmonak Alakanuk

South West

Nunam Iqua

Mountain Village

Scammon Bay

Hooper Bay

Saint Mary’s

Pitkas point Marshall

Pilot Station

Paimiut Chevak

Yukon Delta National Wildlife Ohogamiut Refuge

Russian

Upper Ka

Lower Kalsk

Newtok

Tununak Mekoryuk

Toksook Bay

Umkumiute

NUNIVAK ISLAND

K

Nunapitchuk Tuluk Kasigluk Akiachak Akiak Bethel Atmautluak Oscarville Kwethluk Napakiak Napaskiak

Nightmute

Chefornak Tuntutuliak Kipnuk

Eek

Kongiganak Kwigillingok Quinhagak

Calista Corporation Regional Land

Kuskokwim Bay Goodnews Bay Platinum -154-

Togiak NWR

BETHEL

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“Smokehouse People”

was an Alaska Commercial Company trading post during the late 1800s. It had a population of 41 people in the 1880 U.S. Census.

Annual events in Bethel include a noted dogsled race, the Kuskokwim 300, and Camai, a traditional dance festival held each spring.

Oscar’s Originals

Oscar produces three dimensional framed art. The fine art celebrates the Yup’ik dance, the environment, animals, fish, birds, and Yup’ik stories adorned in spirit masks. Oscar has developed a unique blend of modern and cultural motifs, and influenced how other Alaska Native artisans produce their work into a new generation. Before starting the gallery in Bethel, Oscar developed a studio in Mekoryuk with the support of the community. “I believe each of us are given talents by Ellam Yua, the same God in the Bible, and the opportunity he gives us to share it with our fellow neighbor with Love’s intercession,” said Oscar.

www.oscarsoriginals.com

Bethel

Bethel (Mamterillirmuit in Central Alaskan Yup’ik) is a city located near the west coast of the U.S. state of Alaska, 340 miles (550 km) west of Anchorage. Accessible only by air and river, Bethel is the main port on the Kuskokwim River and is an administrative and transportation hub for the 56 villages in the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta. Bethel, at its original location, was a Yup’ik village called Mamterillermiut, meaning “Smokehouse People,” after the nearby fish smokehouse. It

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South West

Camai Dance Festival More than 500 dancers, drummers and singers gather each March in the western Alaska town of Bethel to celebrate Native dance with a threeday festival. The first Camai was held in 1989 and, thanks to the work of the Bethel Yugtarvik Museum of Yupik history and culture and the Bethel Council on the Arts, Camai has grown into an event that attracts dancers and spectators from around the world. Each year, the festival hosts visiting dance troupes from as far away as the South Pacific.

In addition to dancing, the festival features storytelling, a fashion show, Native arts and crafts, a quilt show and a potlatch that feeds hundreds of people with traditional fare.

RIGHT: Emmonak Dancers BELOW: Living Treasure Arnaucuaq Mary Ann Sundown, Scammon Bay

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PHOTO: Atka Dancers

The Yupiit Piciryarait Museum

The center offers exhibits of traditional Native tools and clothing, a collection of vintage photos, Native art classes and a gift shop.

Bethel, P.O.Box 388, Alaska 99559.

(907) 543-1819 www.ypmuseum.org

Bethel

Bethel is well known for having one of the largest concentrations of traditional people still practicing a subsistence lifestyle. Close to 500 dancers, drummers, and singers ranging in age from 2 to 92 perform at this remote regional center with its 5,000-plus residents. In addition to dancing, the festival also features storytelling, a fashion show, Native arts and crafts, a quilt show, and a potlatch that feeds hundreds of people with traditional fare: baked venison, caribou, roast moose, musk ox, beaver, rabbit soup, fish stews, ptarmigan, berries, aqutaq (Eskimo ice cream), pilot bread, and ayuq (Labrador tea), made from a commonly found bush. In the spirit of sharing, families in Bethel open both their homes and food caches for feast ing during Camai. Even in this year’s weather conditions, attendance was off only slightly. Almost 4,000 people attended three days of events in which dancing continued past midnight.

Camai commemorates and honors “living treasures,” those who were responsible for the revival of dance and song in the villages.

Photos by James H. Barker

Far North Unalakleet 92 Nome 95 St. Lawrence Island 99 Teller 101 Wales 102 Shishmaref 103 Kotzebue 107 Barrow 111 Kavtovik 115 Anaktuvuk Pass 117

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UNALAKLEET

Far North

“from the southern side” Unalakleet is known in the region and around Alaska for its salmon and king crab harvests; the residents rely heavily on caribou, ptarmigan, oogruk (Bearded Seal), and various salmon species. Unalakleet is also known for its aesthetic value, as it resides right next to the Bering Sea, immediately next to a large, clean river (Unalakleet River) and has trees, tundra, and hills behind it. Unalakleet, an adaptation of the Iñupiaq word “Una-la-thliq”(pronounced “You-na-la-thliq”) in Inupiaq, which means “from the southern side.” Unalakleet has long been a major trade center between the Athabascans who lived in the interior of Alaska and the Inupiat who lived on the coast. The Russian-American Company built a trading post here at Unalakleet in the PHOTO: Henry Oyoumick

Joanne Swanson Inupiaq Artist

w.c.,acrylic & mixed media www.artnatam.com, joanneswanson57@yahoo.com

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Unalakleet

Shishmaref Diomede

Wales Brevig Mission Mary’s Igloo

King Island

Bering Sea

Teller Nome

Koyuk Council

Solomon

Golovin

White Mountain

Norton Sound

Gambell Savoonga

Elim Shaktoolik

Unalakleet

Stebbins St.Michael

The Bering Straits Native Corporation Nome, Alaska has a place in many people’s minds as the home of the 1898 Alaska Gold Rush as well as the finish for the 1000 mile Iditarod Sled Dog Race.

What visitors discover here is a vibrant community of 4000, over half of which are Alaskan Native with roots in the communities of the Seward Peninsula, Norton Sound and King, Diomede, and St. Lawrence Islands. This is Alaska’s most culturally diverse region with Siberian Yupik, Central Yup’ik, and Inupiaq Eskimo people, inhabiting an area of nearly 70,000 square miles (175,000 square kilometers). In what is called the Bering Straits region, 22 predominantly Alaska Native communities are situated along the coastlines, rivers, and on the islands of Diomede (locally Inalik), and Saint Lawrence Island.

Nome serves as the hub for the region and hosts many amenities and travel opportunities for the intrepid visitor.

The lifestyles and subsistence pursuits of the Bering Strait people were even more diverse than their languages. Inland caribou hunters and fishermen exemplified by the Qawiaramiut people (now Mary’s Igloo and Teller Native Corporation) occupied most of the interior of the Seward Peninsula. Along the coast margin of Norton Sound, Unaliq people pursued sea mammals, fish and caribou. King Island some 40 miles off the mainland and only 2.3 square miles in area supported

Far North

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Brevig Mission Council Elim Gambell Golovin Inalik (Diomede) King Island

Koyuk Mary’s Igloo Nome (Sitnasuak) Savoonga Shaktoolik Shishmaref Solomon

Stebbins St. Michael Teller Unalakleet Wales White Mountain

people who were walrus, polar bear, and seal hunters. Like the King islanders, the Diomede Island and Saint Lawrence Island people have lived off the ocean’s resources.

Small groups of people from the areas of the Selawik and Kobuk Rivers, located north of the BSNC region, migrated south, beginning around 160 years ago, to occupy the communities of Norton Sound. This migration may have been the result of a famine in the northern area, combined with the devastation brought by smallpox and the disappearance of the local caribou herds. These Malemiut speakers (a dialect of Inupiat) married into the remaining families of Yup’ik speakers, eventually settling in the communities of Koyuk, Shaktoolik, and Unalakleet. The communities of St. Michael and Stebbins are the home of Central Yup’ik people.

While the introduction of cash into the local economies and the establishment of permanent communities, schools, churches and health services have brought significant change over the past 100 years, living off the land continues to be the central component of each community’s identity. Balancing the need for cash to supplement and enhance subsistence pursuits with the ancient history of land use and natural resource stewardship is a continuing testament to the strength and viability of the region’s people.

NOME

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Named After Cape Nome

PHOTO: Drummers, Alaska State Library, # PCA 240

Alaskan Crafts

PO Box 39105, Elim, AK 99739

907 890 4269 cjkalerak82@yahoo.com

Nome

Inupiat hunted for game on the west coast of Alaska from prehistoric times. A village site existed at the mouth of the Snake River, now lying under the Nome harbor causeway. In the summer of 1898, the “Three Lucky Swedes.” Norwegian Jafet Lindeberg, and two naturalized American citizens of Swedish birth, Erik Lindblom and John Brynteson, discovered gold on Anvil Creek. News of the discovery reached the outside world that winter. By 1899, Nome had a population of 10,000 and the area was organized as the Nome mining district. In that year, gold was found in the beach sands for dozens of miles along the coast at Nome, which spurred the stampede to new heights.

Far North

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Bering Straits Native Corporation the (BSNC), established through Alaska Native Land Claims Settlement Act of 1971, represents the region’s communities (www.beringstraits.com). Among its other business ventures, BSNC owns the Aurora Inn, Stampede Ventures car rental services, and Kigluaik Snowguides. Rental cabins, located 60 miles from Nome along the Kougarok Road, are available through BSNC. The road system to outlying areas will surprise many visitors.

Over 300 miles of gravel roads lead along the coastline to the east and deep into the inland. The beautiful Kigluaik Mountains, Salmon Lake and Pilgrim Hot Springs can be found along the Nome-Kougarok road. Roads also lead to the communities of Teller, northwest of Nome and Council to the northeast. Rolling tundra and alpine tundra vistas will meet you at every turn. The area is also world renown as an excellent place to spot bird species not found anywhere else in North America. Your travel options will depend on when you visit. Car rentals are available (www.aurorainnome.com) and tours are available through Nome Discovery Tours (discover@gci.net). You can also view musk ox, reindeer, caribou, bears, and other arctic fauna in their natural habitat as you travel the roads.

Through Kigluaik Snowguides (907443-4312), the truly adventurous can book a winter musk ox tour, a trip along the Iditarod trail, or a day of snow cat/helicopter access skiing.

The Nome Visitors and Convention Bureau can assist you in finding housing and activities in Nome and surrounding villages.

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The “Last Great Race”

Aurora Inn & Suites

P.O. Box 421, Nome, Alaska 99762

(907) 443-3838 www.aurorainnome.com

Nome

The world famous Iditarod Sled Dog Race starts in Anchorage on the first Saturday in March. The first musher arrives in Nome approximately 9-11 days later. Teams continue to arrive day and night for the next week and a half.

In Nome, activities include a reindeer potluck, arts & crafts shows, Iditarod awards banquets, an opportunity to “meet the mushers,” the world’s largest basketball tournament the Lonnie O’Connor Iditarod Basketball Classic (over 50 teams in one location), the Ice Golf Classic and a dart tournament. Be sure to make hotel reservations in advance or phone the vistors center for housing assistance.

You can’t compare it to any other competitive event in the world! A race over 1049 miles of the roughest, most beautiful terrain Mother Nature has to offer.

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Far North

Kigluaik Adventures & Snowguides Kigluaik Adventures (Kig-loo-ake) is named after the mountain range lying 20 miles north of Nome, Alaska. This range was formed by a violent thrust fault and the north aspects of the range present a challenging terrain of couloirs, chutes, and nearly vertical faces. It was in this range where the giant eagle (Tingmiakpuk) taught the Inupiat Eskimo people the ceremonies and songs that have become their traditions.

With over 650,000 acres of permitted terrain, Kigluaik Adventures provides daily excursions and exclusive custom trips into the lands of Beringia. Whether you want to view the Iditarod sled dog race out on the trail, visit and photograph musk ox and other arctic fauna in their natural winter environment, or alpine and nordic ski on untouched snow, we can make it happen.

Single and multi-day snowcat excursions are available. You can arrange an unguided trip by scheduling a drop off and pick up in the range with Kigluaik Adventures. Early spring tundra tours are also available. Other activities may include dogsled rides, ice fishing for arctic char and northern pike, cultural tours, and viewing of musk ox, caribou, moose, bears and other Arctic fauna in this pristine region. (March through May)

Kigluaik Adventures Bering Straits Native Corporation PO Box 1008 Nome, Alaska 99762 Phone: (907) 443-4312, 907 443-5252 land@beringstraits.com www.beringstraits.com/ lands/tourism

ST. LAWRENCE ISLAND

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Finest Eskimo Walrus Ivory Carvers St. Lawrence Island

St. Lawrence Island has been inhabited intermittently for the past 2,000 years by Siberian Yup’ik Eskimos. In the 18th and 19th centuries, over 4,000 people inhabited the island in 35 villages. Sivuqaq is the Yup’ik name for the village and for the Island which means to ring out as ringing out a disk cloth. The City was renamed for Mr. and Mrs. Vene C. Gambell. A tragic famine between 1878 and 1880 decimated the population. In 1900, reindeer were introduced to the island for local use, and in 1903, President Roosevelt established a reindeer reservation.

During the 1930s, some residents moved to Savoonga to establish a permanent settlement there. The City was incorporated in 1963.

St. Lawrence Island Original Ivory Co-operative Ltd. Walrus ivory carvings of animal figurines such as walrus, whales, seals, polar bears, hawks, eagles, auklets and other Arctic birds, cribbage boards, baleen whales, bookmarks and etchings Hours: 1pm to 5 pm Mondays thru Fridays., Mgr. H.V. Slwooko (Yupik) PO Box 89, Gambell, AK 99742

(907) 985-5707 or 985-5112

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Far North

St. Lawrence Island Savoonga is located on the northern coast of St. Lawrence Island in the Bering Sea, 164 miles west of Nome. St. Lawrence Island has been inhabited intermittently for the past 2,000 years by Siberian Yup’ik Eskimos.

When the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (ANCSA) was passed in 1971, Gambell and Savoonga decided not to establish a corporation. Instead they opted to acquire title to the whole island – 1,136 million acres of land in the former St. Lawrence Island Reserve. The island is jointly owned by the villages of Savoonga and Gambell.

Savoonga is a traditional Siberian Yup’ik village with a subsistence lifestyle revolving around walrus and whale hunting. It is hailed as the “Walrus Capital of the World,” with walrus, whale, and seal comprising 80% of the islanders’ diet.

Most residents are bilingual, with Siberian Yup’ik the first language. Residents are known for their quality ivory carvings. Some tourism comes from visiting birders.

Gambell is located on the northwest cape of St. Lawrence Island in the Bering Sea, 325 km (200 miles) southwest of Nome. It is 58 km (36 miles) from the Chukchi Peninsula in the Russian Far East.

St. Lawrence Island is a great place to look over towards Russia and watch the whales all day. It has been likened to a fish pond there are usually so many to see.

PHOTO: Dean Kulowiyi carves and sells ivory in Savoonga, Alaska. He uses walrus tusks and walrus teeth, which he gathers from walrus he hunts or purchases from other hunters. He has been carving and selling figures, such as minke whales, seals and birds for 25 years.

TELLER

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Mary’s Igloo Is Now A Summer Fishing Camp

Teller Cultural Festival

Teller, Alaska ( Held every September)

Teller

Teller is located on a spit 116 km (72 miles) northwest of Nome on the Seward Peninsula. The Inupiat had a fishing camp called Nook 32 km (20 miles) south of Teller in the early 1800s. The 1825-28 Beechey expedition found three camps with a total of some 400 inhabitants and a winter camp site with burial grounds in a roughly 10-mile (15 km) radius around the later site of Teller on September 1, 1827. A reindeer station operated from 1892 to 1900 at a site near Teller.

The Teller Cultural Festival is held every September and outside guests are welcome to come an view the dancing and join in the festivities.

In the early 1900s, Teller had a population of about 5,000 and was a major regional trading center. Natives from Diomede, Wales, Mary’s Igloo, and King Island came to trade there.

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WALES

Far North

A Renaissance In Traditional Music And Dance Kingikmiut, or Wales, was once known as the dance capital of the Seward Peninsula. Captain Henry Trollope visited Wales in 1853-54 and wrote…the place is sort of a capital in these parts and has four dancing houses, which is a very expressive manner of estimating the extent and population for a place (Ray 1975). Because of its strategic location, Kingikmiut flourished. Today there is a renaissance in traditional music and dance practices. In Wales and other Seward Peninsula communities, the younger people, who make up a large percentage of the population, have a great thirst for learning to sing and dance their traditional songs. The Kingikmiut Dance Group of Wales, the Anchorage Kingikmiut Dancers, the Brevig Mission Dancers, and the Shishmaref Dance Group are all made up mainly of junior high and high school students.

Visit in summer to see the Festival first-hand.

The Kingikmiut Dance Festival Special guests at the 5th Annual Kingikmiut Dance Festival included a Russian dance group.

This is a dance that originates in the Chukchi area. The Kingikmiut Dance Festival is a symbol of survival. It is a beautiful illustration of the strength that is found in indigenous peoples.

The festival encourages them to express who they are as their ancestors have done for thousands of years. JUNE

SHISHMAREF

103

Tony A. Weyiouanna Sr.

A Traditional Inupiaq “SwallowedEskimo by the Sea”Village

Photo Right: “Inupiaq Madonna”

“Side 1”

Side 2”

Weyiouanna Arts & Crafts

P O Box 72093, Shishmaref, AK 99772

907 649 3261 tonyw@gci.net

“Bottom side 1”

“Top side 1”

Shishmaref

Shishmaref is a traditional Inupiaq Eskimo village. Residents rely heavily on a subsistence lifestyle, hunting and gathering much of their food. Primary food sources include sea mammals such as oogruk (bearded seal), other seals and walrus, fish, birds (such as ptarmigan), caribou and moose.

The village is well known in the region for its high-quality seal oil and fermented meat. Shishmaref is also known for its Native art. Local carvings of whalebone and walrus ivory are sought after by galleries in Alaska The original Eskimo name for the island is “Kigiktaq.

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Above: Tony A. Weyiouanna Sr.’s youngest son helping out in rebuilding an umiaq.

Sinnok Native Arts & Crafts

Wholesale, Ivory, Jewelry, Seal Slippers, Carvings Dennis W. Sinnock

P O Box 17, 99772

907 649 4211 kdsinnok@gci.net

105

Alaska Native Arts & Crafts Shishmaref

Francis & Mary Kakoona, Bone & Ivory Carving, Skin & Beadwork Sewing

907 649 3080, marykakoona@yahoo.com

Nancy Kokeok and Robbie Ningeulook

Seal Skin Hats, Mittons, Booties

907 649 3601 nkokeok@kawerak.org Shishmaref

Far North

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Photo: The first catch of the season in spring, if it was a big one, was given away. When a hunter caught the first bearded seal, the family wouldn’t keep it, but his wife held a seal meat and blubber give-away party, uqiquq as they called it, and gave it all to people in the community.

And if a mother had several sons, not just one, if this son caught a seal, and if his younger brother caught one, or if another younger son caught one, a parent will hold give-away parties several times in spring. Only women participated. Martina John, Toksook Bay Photo Credit: James H.Barker

KOTZEBUE

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A Trading And Gathering Center

PHOTO: Eskimos, ASL #P27-021,

sulianich

ART CENTER

The Sulianich Association provides a viable marketplace for local arts and crafts, as well as a safe working environment for artists and carvers... of Inupiaq arts and crafts produced in the Northwest Arctic Borough Region’s 11 villages

907 442 2900 www.nwabor.org

Kotzebue

There is archaeological evidence that Inupiat people have lived at Kotzebue since at least the 1400s. Because of its location, Kotzebue was a trading and gathering center for the entire area. The Noatak, Selawik and Kobuk Rivers drain into the Kotzebue Sound near Kotzebue to form a center for transportation to points inland. In addition to people from interior villages, inhabitants of the Russian Far East came to trade at Kotzebue.

Furs, seal-oil, hides, rifles, ammunition, and seal skins were some of the items traded. People also gathered for competitions like the current World Eskimo Indian Olympics. The Sulianich Art Center provides a marketplace for local artists to sell their art from all around the area.

Far North

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Sulianich Art Center Sulianich in Inupiaq means “a place to make things.” The Art Gallery and work studio began as a Northwest Arctic Borough economic development project.

The Northwest Arctic Borough formed a partnership with NANA Corporation and Maniilaq Association to establish a revolving loan fund to purchase art from Alaskan Native Artists in the Northwest Arctic Borough and other outlying areas.

10 years later Sulianich is still going strong, selling over 2 million dollars in Alaska Native Art from Northwest Alaska and purchasing art from well over 100 different artists a year.

With grants and additional partnerships with USDA, Chukchi Campus, Rasmussen foundation and Teck Cominco, Sulianich has moved out of a little office in the Northwest Arctic Borough Building, to its own art gallery and work shop for the artist.

My name is Edward L. Ward III and my Inupiaq name is qunungnauraq. I was born in Kotzebue, Alaska on Sept, 30, 1968. I started carving at the age of 7 and sold my first carving at the age of 8 for $15.00. I bought a piece of walrus ivory with that money and carved ever since (with a few extended breaks). The carving was a soapstone walrus with ivory tusks on a piece of polished, aged, bone.

When I first started I was mentored by Charlie Iapana from Little Diomede. He taught me a lot including how to make and use traditional tools, preserve ivory and other natural materials against cracking, how to carve and how to heat treat steel.

My artwork portrays traditional Inupiaq spiritual imagery including anthropomorphism and archetypes passed on through generations. I acquired much of that knowledge from local elders all throughout my life and also from personal experience.

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Kotzebue

Inupiat artist Roswell L. “Ross” Schaeffer Sr., also known as Qalayauq, was born and raised in the Inupiat community of Kotzebue, Alaska, located 39 miles north of the Arctic Circle. ~ As an Inupiaq hunter, Qalayauq is able to capture the true meaning of the hunting culture using his own observations and ancient teachings handed down by generations. Even today, some of the spiritual aspects of the hunting culture are beleived and followed. The expression of this reverence for the animals and culture are apparent in his work, which are unique in materials and execution. All art inquiries for available pieces should be directed to Sulanich Art Center at: (907) 442-2990 or questions about commissions or to contact the artist, email: qalayauq@gmail.com

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Katherine Cleveland Far North

P.O. Box 35 Ambler, Alaska 99786

(907) 445-2168

Please contact the artists direct to purchase or to see more items or contact the Sulianich Art Center inupiaqart@yahoo.com

Adolph Shaglook CARVER Baleen, Ivory & Mammoth Masks P.O. Box 1341 Kotzebue, Alaska 99752

Nellie Sheldon Birch Bark Baskets Ambler, Alaska 99786

BARROW

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‘the place where we hunt Snowy Owls’

PHOTO: ASL # P320-05

Inupiat Heritage Center On the rooftop of the world, the Iñupiat Heritage Center in Barrow, Alaska tells the story of the Iñupiat people. They thrived for thousands of years in one of the harshest climates on Earth, hunting the bowhead whale whom they call “Agviq.” In the 19th century, these lonely seas swarmed with commercial whalemen from New England.

907 852 2611 www.nps.gov/inup/index.htm

Barrow

In the Inupiaq language the location of Barrow is called Ukpeagvik, which means “the place where we hunt Snowy Owls.” Archaeological sites in the area indicate the Inupiat lived around Barrow as far back as AD 500. Some remains of 16 dwelling mounds from the Birnirk culture of about AD 800 are still in evidence today on the shore of the Arctic Ocean. Their position on a slight rise above the high water mark places them in danger of being lost to erosion within a short time. In 1935 the famous humorist Will Rogers and pilot Wiley Post made an unplanned stop at Walakpa Bay 15 mi (24 km) south of Barrow while enroute to Barrow. As they took off again their plane stalled and plunged into a river, killing them both.

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ABOVE: Samantha Goodwin Native Crafts from the Arctic 6155 Herman Street Barrow, AK 99723 907 852 3900 907 367 3992 (cell) bsrgoodwin@yahoo.com

Larry S. Okomailak,SR. PO Box 825 Barrow AK 99723 907 852 2623 toovak@msn.com Baleen Boat Maker

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EVENTS IN BARROW

In JANUARY and FEBRUARY experience KIVGIQ, the unforgettable mid-winter festival also called Messenger Feast - a three day celebration of dance, song and bartering that brings Inuit from across the North Slope, Russia, Canada and greenland together to renew family ties and share age-old traditions Bundle up for a week-long spring festival in the snow during PIRURAAGIAQTA in APRIL... Enjoy the parade, makllak races, igloo building, dog mushing and geese-calling contests; snow machine races, golf on lagoon ice, art shows and other activities.

Travel to the arctic in MAY, JUNE & JULY when the lush tundra is alive with over 185 species of birds including snowy owls, jaegers, swans & arctic terns.

Plan your trip to the USA’s most northern community in JUNE when villagers celebrate NALUKATAQ or blanket toss festivals, marking the end of a safe and successful, subsistence whaling season. Contact the City of Barrow or the Inupiat Heritage Center for more information.

ESKIMO GAMES are a highlight of JULY Independence Day festivities.

The games require balance and strength. Events include two-feet high kick, ear pull and one-hand reach. July winners can go on to the World Eskimo Indian Olympics.

During July & August Barrow residents often go with relatives and friends from other villages to hunt and fish, and to areas where wild salmon berries, blue berries, black berries and cranberries are plentiful and grow on the ground. Autumn comes early to the Arctic so prime growing season is short.

Visit us in NOVEMBER through MAY during the awe-inspiring winter, or enjoy the sun-washed evening hours of Spring, and take a dog-sled ride across the sea ice, past icebergs that are magnificantly blue in color.

In DECEMBER spend the holidays watching QITIK, the Christmas Eskimo games. Enjoy watching traditional feats of skill and physical prowess developed long ago. Welcome the New Year at the edge of the Chukchi Sea, near the famous whalebone arch - and wear your warmest clothes to watch the annual fireworks display.

Paglagivsigin! We Welcome You All!

Barrow

Welcome to Ukpiagvik!

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Far North

More Barrow Artists: 1. Perry Matumeak - balleen carver 2. Angeline Kanayurak dolls, masks etc.

3. Clara Segevan - beaded earrings etc.

4. Simeon Patkotak - carver 5. Marilyn Fischer - seal skin hats etc.

6. Carolyn Edwardson - jackets, atigluks, dolls etc.

Tundra Tours Tundra Tours invites visitors to experience the most unique destination in Alaska, the Top of the World-Barrow Alaska. The tour includes a skin sewing demonstration, the world-famous blanket toss, and commences with a unique native craft sale where visitors meet with local craftspeople. It is truly one of the most unusual, exciting, and educational adventure of a lifetime, exploring the ancient Eskimo culture deep inside the Arctic Circle. Arriving visitors are welcomed at the airport. Sightseeing tour begins at the airport with narration by trained guide. www.tundratoursinc.com

Tundra Tours at the

Top Of The World Hotel

KAKTOVIK

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Arctic National Wildlife Refuge

ETHICAL TOURS Both day trips and longer trips can be arranged, and visitors can either stay in a hotel or go camping in the wilderness with Bruce Inglangasak, a native Inupiat Eskimo, who has traditional camping supplies. Trips can be arranged according to the wishes of the client - Bruce is equally happy teaching visitors about his culture as he is showing birdwatchers, whale watchers or other naturalists around his homeland.

(907) 640-2142 www.ethicalalaska.com

Kaktovik

Kaktovik is on the north shore of Barter Island, between the Okpilak and Jago Rivers on the Beaufort Sea coast. It lies in the 19.6 million acre (79,000 km²) Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. Until the late nineteenth century Barter Island was a major trade center for the Inupiat and was especially important as a bartering place for Inupiat from Alaska and Inuit from Canada. Kaktovik was a traditional fishing place—Kaktovik means Seining Place—that has a large pond of good fresh water on high ground. It had no permanent settlers until people from other parts of Barter Island and northern Alaska moved to the area around the construction of a runway and Distant Early Warning Line station in the 1950s.

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The area was incorporated as the City of Kaktovik in 1971. Due to Kaktovik’s isolation, the village has maintained its Inupiat Eskimo traditions. Subsistence is highly dependent upon the hunting of caribou and whale.

YOUR GUIDE Bruce Inglangasak, is experienced at making camp in the wilderness, hunting, fishing, survival skills, speaking Inupiat and the culture of the Inupiat. He is very excited to impart this knowledge to any visitors; “I will teach them everything I know about how to travel on this land and how to survive.”

Bruce values his environment and is looking into ways to reduce his carbon footprint further. He follows traditional hunting techniques which prevent the depletion of natural resources; “I only take what I need; the Inupiat are keepers of the land and the animals.” Bruce is proud that he has never had to harm a polar bear; he is a safe pair of hands who you can trust in any situation.

Bruce is very proud of his culture and looks forward to imparting his knowledge and skills to you, should you choose to visit him in Kaktovik.

MAMMALS The tundra around Kaktovik supports Caribou, while three species of bear (Polar, Grizzly and Brown) are often found in and around the village. Whales can beseen from the shore, but Bruce also does whalewatching trips in his boat; regularly sighted are belugas and bowhead whales, with grey whales seen occasionally.

BONE CARVING Bruce is beginning to learn the traditional Inupiat art of whalebone carving, using bones left on the shore after the annual whale hunt. If you are interested in purchasing some whale bone art, Bruce would be happy to show you his collection.

ANAKTUVUK PASS

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Only Nunamiut Settlement

tion.)

Simon Paneak Memorial Museum

The Simon Paneak Memorial Museum embodies the local history and cultural life-way of the nomadic inland Inupiat, with the traditional knowledge of arctic survival skills living with the mountainous landscape and wildlife.

341 Mekiana Road, Anaktuvuk Pass, AK 99721 907-661-3413 www.co.north-slope.ak.us/nsb/55.htm

Anaktuvuk Pass

There was a nomadic group of Inupiat called Nunamiut that lived inland in northern Alaska and lived by hunting caribou instead of the marine mammals and fish hunted by the rest of the Inupiat, who live on the coast. The Nunamiut traded with the coastal people for other items they needed. A decline in caribou populations in about 1900 and in the 1920s caused many Nunamiut to move to the coastal villages.

In 1938, several families of Nunamiut moved back to the Brooks Range, around Tulugak and the Killik River. In 1949 the Tulugak group moved to Anaktuvuk Pass and later the Killik River group moved there also. Anaktuvuk Pass is the only Nunamiut settlement. A one day guided round trip journey by land and air highlighting the native cultures of Alaska’s arctic is offered

by Northern Alaska Tour Co. (See Fairbanks’ sec-

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Lela Ahgook, Alaska Native Artist PO Box 21031, Anaktuvuk Pass, AK 99721

907 661 2117

Caribou Skin Masks, Eskimo Yo-Yo’s. Keychains

Nuna Inua Alaskan Native ART

Nasuqraq Rainey Higbee Hopson Owner/Artist I love anything that has to do with ART! I enjoy making jewelry, drawing, painting, printmaking, and will dabble in pretty much anything else. I specialize in artwork created from the leftovers of the animals we harvest and rely on for food. www.salmonberrydreams.etsy.com

FORT YUKON

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Visit The Arctic Circle

Alaska Yukon Tours

PO Box 214, Fort Yukon, AK 99740

907/662-2727

Fort Yukon

At the most northern reach of the Yukon River, 145 miles northeast of Fairbanks, lays Fort Yukon, Alaska’s largest Athabascan village, which serves as a staging area for outfitters and guiding companies who run trips in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to the north. Its main attraction to visitors, however, is the Arctic Circle, the imaginary line that lies only a mile to the south of the village. Flightseeing tours out of Fairbanks take visitors for a flight across the Arctic Circle and then land in Fort Yukon for a tour of the community and to see the town’s historic Episcopal Church that was built in 1899. This remote Gwich’in village of 587 residents is not accessible by road or water when the Yukon freezes up from end of September to late May. The winters in Fort Yukon are dry and cold while the summers are dry and hot.

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BEAVER

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An Experience Of A Lifetime You will depart from Fairbanks on a 45 minute flight that takes you over the White Mountains, the Yukon Flats National Wildlife Refuge and above the Arctic Circle then on to the historic village of Beaver. After landing, you will meet your Alaska Native tour guide Cliff Adams, a subsistent hunter, trapper and fisherman, who will take you on an hour and a half walking tour of the village, his smoke house and his home. Along the tour you will visit Frank Yasuda’s final resting place and walk along the banks of the Yukon River. (During winter tours you can walk ON the river) Tours are offered twice daily and are 3-4 hours. Beaver was founded in 1910, by Frank Yasuda, a japanese explorer who arrived on a whaling ship in Barrow, Alaska. With Eskimo guides, Frank Yasuda walked through the Brooks Range to the mighty Yukon River and settled the village of Beaver,

Guided walking tour of the remote native village of Beaver.

Beaver a spectacular 45 minute flight north of Fairbanks, located in the heart of the Yukon Flats, where a subsistence lifestyle is practiced and taught by your local guide. An experience of a lifetime.

1600 Riverview Dr, Beaver, AK 99724

(907) 628-6622 - Main, www.beaverlodgetours.com

FAIRBANKS

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Gateway to Interior Alaska

Alaska House Art Gallery

Set in a unique log building, the Alaska House Art Gallery featuring the works of Claire Fejes and other Alaskan artists - is dedicated to preserving and promoting the art of Alaska.

907 456 6449 www.alaskahouse.com 1003 Cushman St., Fairbanks AK 99701

Fairbanks

Fairbanks is a wonderful place to explore Alaska Native culture. It is home to the Morris Thompson Cultural & Visitors Center and hosts the Alaska Federation of Natives conference every few years. There are several native cultural festivals held in Fairbanks yearly, including the World Eskimo Indian Olympics, the Athabascan Fiddlers Festival, the Midnight Sun Intertribal Pow Wow and the Festival of Native Arts held at the University of Alaska. The Festival of Native Arts unites the major Native culture groups of Alaska, as well as foreign groups of the continental United States and countries such as Japan, Russia and Canada. These groups share the rich heritage of their respective cultures, which not only solidifies the Alaska Native identity, but also educates all people as to the nature of cultures different from ours. www.uaf.edu

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Morris Thompson Cultural and Visitors Center The newly opened 9,000 square foot exhibit gallery at the Morris Thompson Cultural and Visitors Center is garnering rave reviews and visitor comments. “I always swell with pride looking at and learning about our native culture, especially when it is presented so beautifully,” wrote Traci from Nulato, Alaska. “I love the sound effects…mosquitoes buzzing, sound of cutting salmon, birds. Fabulous!”

Bernadette from Ft. Yukon summed it up more simply, “One word – BEAUTIFUL!” This new facility on the banks of the Chena River in downtown Fairbanks is a unique partnership of the Fairbanks Convention & Visitors Bureau, the Alaska Public Lands Information Center and Tanana Chiefs Conference. Together they have created a world-class cultural and visitor center that honors the legacy of the late Morris Thompson who was widely recognized as a bridge between cultures.

The Center is committed to honoring his legacy by promoting improved appreciation and understanding between Alaska Native and non-Native communities.

Tanana Chiefs Conference, the regional Alaska Native non-profit, offers a wide variety of cultural programs throughout the year intended to preserve Athabascan languages, pass down traditional knowledge through Elder teachings, and instill confidence and pride in Alaska Native youth. Summer programs highlight Athabascan dance, music and storytelling, while winter workshops offer a chance to learn traditional native arts such as beading, skin sewing, and doll and snowshoe making.

While visiting Interior Alaska, make the Morris Thompson Cultural and Visitors Center your first stop. You can plan your Alaskan vacation while enjoying an extraordinary community centerpiece that celebrates who we are and how we live.

Open 7 days a week year-round. 8am – 9pm in the summer, 8am- 5pm in the winter. In addition to visitor information and of world-class exhibits, the facility offers free films on Alaska’s natural and cultural history, free WiFi and Internet access and shopping at the Alaska Geographic bookstore.

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Selina Alexander

Bead work Caribou Hair Tufting Porcupine Quill Work Boxes Jewelry Animal Claws Medicine Bags and much more 4818 Amherst, Fairbanks AK 99709

907 374 7034

selinabeadwork@gmail.com

The first World Eskimo Olympics was held in Fairbanks in 1961 drawing contestants and dance teams from Barrow, Unalakleet, Tanana, Fort Yukon, Noorvik and Nome. The event was a big success and has been held annually ever since.

From time immemorial, Native peoples of the circumpolar areas of the world have gathered in small villages to participate in games of strength, endurance, balance, and agility. Along with these athletic games, dancing, story telling, and other audience participation games took place. This provided an opportunity for friendly competition, entertainment and laughter. The hosts provided food and lodging, and visitors brought news from surrounding villages and expanded opportunities for challenge building and renewing old and new friendships. www.weio.org Midnight Sun Festival 30,000 people are expected to attend the Midnight Sun Festival in downtown Fairbanks. Festival attendees will enjoy food and fun & games as well as music and arts and crafts. There will be a street dance and a BBQ chicken feed. There will also be a dunking booth and plenty of activities for children. The festival will last from 12 noon until 12 midnight but of course, many people will leave the street fair in time for the baseball game. www.downtownfairbanks.com

Fairbanks

Koyukon Athabascan from Husilia, Alaska

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Arctic Circle Native Culture Adventure The tour is typically 14 to 15 hours in length. Approximately 7 to 8 hours are spent in the tour vehicle, 2 hours are spent in the aircraft. The remaining time is spent exploring the sights. The tour departs Fairbanks by ground at 5:00 am and returns by air approximately between 6:00 pm and 7:00 pm.

Northern Alaska Tour Company strives to provide a personalized touring experience. Touring is done in small groups utilizing a 25-passenger tour coach. Occasionally a 10-passenger van is used for smaller groups or special circumstances.

The flight portion of the tour is typically conducted in 8-passenger to 19- passenger twin-engine aircraft.

Meals are not included: however, sack lunches are available to purchase prior to departure in the morning. These lunches are then picked up at the Yukon River.

The Arctic Circle Native Culture Adventure® includes a visit to the village of Anaktuvuk Pass. This village visit provides a firsthand glimpse at life in Alaska’s Arctic.

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Fairbanks

WORLD ESKIMO-INDIAN OLYMPICS The games that are played by these people display the preparedness one needed for survival. They require skill as well as strength, agility, and endurance. In this manner, the people could at least teach the children that they had to be tough to make it on their own, not just in one area, but in all. The games left no part of the body untested.

In the past, whenever there was a gathering of families or villages, there were feasts, dances, and games. Often, when these gatherings took place, a messenger was sent to neighboring villages to extend a formal invitation. Today, these games are played during the Fourth of July and Christmas holidays.

To better appreciate the background of these games, envision yourself in a community village hut three hundred years ago with the temperature outside at 60 degrees below zero, and everybody in attendance celebrating a successful seal hunt.

While the young men are demonstrating their athletic prowess and strength, the umialiks, or whaling captains, are on the perimeter of the hut looking with great interest at the young adults - one or more of these young men would be incorporated into their whaling and hunting crews - the fastest, the strongest, the one showing great balance and endurance to pain would be the top pick.

The first World Eskimo Olympics was held in Fairbanks in 1961 drawing contestants and dance teams from Barrow, Unalakleet, Tanana, Fort Yukon, Noorvik and Nome. The event was a big success and has been held annually ever since.

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WORLD ESKIMO-INDIAN OLYMPICS FAIRBANKS ALASKA, CARLSON CENTER, JULY 15-18

Fairbanks

For time immemorial, Native peoples of the circumpolar areas of the world have gathered in small villages to participate in games of strength, endurance, balance, and agility. Along with these athletic games, dancing, story telling, and other audience participation games took place. This provided an opportunity for friendly competition, entertainment and laughter. The hosts provided food and lodging, and visitors brought news from surrounding villages and expanded opportunities for challenge building and renewing old and new friendships. This is the background of the World Eskimo-Indian Olympics and the atmosphere, which we seek to replicate.

In 1961, the City of Fairbanks, through the Fairbanks Chamber of Commerce, sponsored the World Eskimo Olympics as a segment of the emerging Golden Days Celebration. Four Eskimo dance groups, two Indian dance groups, and competitions in the high-kick, blanket toss, seal skinning, added with the Miss Eskimo Olympics Queen Contest were held during that first year. Exhibitions on the teeter board and Eskimo “piggy back” baby buggy show rounded out the short program. From this beginning, a diverse and complex format encompassing three days was born.

In 1970, Tundra Times, the only statewide Native newspaper in Alaska, by mutual agreement with the Fairbanks Chamber of Commerce, took over sponsorship of the growing event.

In 1973, the Board of Directors of Tundra Times passed a resolution changing the name of the World Eskimo Olympics to World Eskimo-Indian Olympics to more accurately reflect the ethnicity of the participants. The logo for the World Eskimo-Indian Olympics is six interwoven rings representing the six major tribes in Alaska - Aleut, Athabascan, Inupiaq, Yup’ik, Haida, Tlingit, and Tsimpsian.

Each year record-breaking crowds, record-breaking performances by the athletes, an increasing number of competitors, and larger numbers of villages sending dance groups and athletes to the Games proved to be a challenge to the sponsoring organization.

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132 Throughout its 50-year history, the organizers of WEIO has seen photojournalistic crews from all over the globe. Tabloids such as Cosmopolitan, People, and USA Today, have offered articles on the Olympics as best they could. Some of the participants have been on national-wide television shows such as: Good Morning America, the Learning Channel, the Discovery Channel, CNN, ESPN and the Tonight Show with Jay Leno. Many international television programs from Germany, London, Japan, Norway, and other countries have done specials starring the people, athletes, and events of the WEIO. Strange as these games may be to some, the organizers strive to present these games as an important arterial to the survival of a culture, rich with history, stories, and spirituality.

Records are broken in almost every year. This is evidenced by WEIO’s right to parenthood to such games as the Native Youth Olympics, and Arctic Winter Sports. It is because of the WEIO, many countries in the circumpolar areas of the World are having annual festivals and carnivals featuring the games and dances.

It is believed that by working together, we can look to the future with interest and pride at the results achieved by promoting these games in light with which they are offered.

Survival for the Native people of Alaska has been the name of the games for as long as our elders can recollect. When listening to them tell of their early life, it sometimes seems inconceivable they managed at all. These stories constantly reiterate the need to be disciplined physically as well as mentally, to share, cooperate, and to hold a reverence for the source which makes it possible to survive in an environment which is severe in every sense of the word. www.weio.org (All photos

by Ronn Murray Photography, Fairbanks)

NENANA

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‘a good place to camp between two rivers’

ALFRED STARR CULTURAL CENTER

PO Box 70 Nenana, Alaska 99760

907-832-5527, www.nenana.org/cultural.html

Nenana

“Nenana” means ‘a good place to camp between two rivers. Nenana is in the western-most portion of Tanana Athabascan Indian territory. It was first known as Tortella, an interpretation of the Indian word “Toghotthele” (TOG-uh-TEE-lee), which means “mountain that parallels the river.” Early explorers such as Allen, Harper and Bates first entered the Tanana Valley in 1875 and 1885. However, the Tanana people were accustomed to contact with Europeans, due to trading journeys to the Village of Tanana, where Russians bartered Western goods for furs. A federallyrecognized tribe is located in the community.

The population is made of a diverse mixture of non-Natives and Athabascans and the majority of Native households rely on subsistence foods, such as salmon, moose, caribou (by permit), bear, waterfowl and berries. Several Iditarod winners also reside in Nenana.

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Nenana Visitors Center Nenana is located in Interior Alaska, 55 road miles southwest of Fairbanks on the George Parks Highway. Nenana is located at mile 412 of the Alaska Railroad, on the south bank of the Tanana River, just east of the mouth of the Nenana River. It lies 304 road miles northeast of Anchorage. Nenana has a cold, continental climate with an extreme temperature range. The average daily maximum during summer months is 65 to 70 °F; the daily minimum during winter is well below 0 °F. The highest temperature ever recorded is 98 °F; the lowest is -69 °F. Average annual preprecipitation is 11.4 inches, with 48.9 inches of snowfall. The river is ice-free from mid-May to mid-October.

Nenana is in the western-most portion of Tanana Athabascan territory. It was first known as Tortella, an interpretation of the word “Toghotthele,” which means “mountain that parallels the river.” The Nenana Valley of Central Alaska is the site of one of the earliest archaeological sites in North America, dating between about 11,000 and 12,000 years old.

The discovery of gold in Fairbanks in 1902 brought intense activity to the region. In 1903, a trading post/roadhouse was constructed by Jim Duke to supply river travelers and trade with Natives. St. Mark’s Episcopal Mission and School was built upriver in 1905.

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PHOTO: Boxing in Nenana c1916.

Nenana

Native children from other communities, such as Minto, attended school in Nenana. A post office opened in 1908. By 1909, there were about 12,000 residents in the Fairbanks area, most drawn by gold mining activities.

In 1915, construction of the Alaska Railroad doubled Nenana’s population. The Nenana Ice Classic - a popular competition to guess the date and time of the Tanana River ice break-up each spring - began in 1917 among surveyors for the Alaska Railroad.

The community incorporated as a city in 1921. The railroad depot was completed in 1923, when President Warren Harding drove the golden spike at the north end of the 700foot steel bridge over the Tanana River, which created a transportation link to Fairbanks and Seward.

During the 1925 diphtheria epidemic in Nome, serum from Anchorage was transported to Nenana by train before being sent by dogsled to Nome. ‘Wild’ Bill Shannon, a resident of Nenana, was the first musher in the long trip to Nome.

According to local records, 5,000 residents lived in Nenana during this time; however, completion of the railroad was followed by an economic slump. The population in 1930 was recorded at 291.

The Athabascan are efficient hunters and fishers and the moose, caribou, salmon and the birch tree are the most important resources. These provide food, clothes and shelter.

In summer, they spend a great deal of time at their fish camps along major river systems - including the Yukon, Tanana, Innoko, Chandelar, Koyokuk and Tolovana rivers. In winter, they hunt caribou, moose and smaller animals.

Athabascans migrated seasonally traveling in small groups to hunt and fish.

Known as the ‘Dena’ (the people), they teach respect for all living things. The most important part of their subsistence lifestyle is sharing with the community.

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136 Sites to see in Nenana include the historic St. Marks’ Mission Church, the Alaska Railroad Museum, the Alfred Starr Cultural Center located on the waterfront and many small shops.

When visiting the Cultural Center one can view active fish wheels catching fish and view the boats and barges that ship supplies and fuel to over 42 lower river communities.

The community offers several restaurants, gas, lodging and an RV park for visitors. Be sure to stop by the Visitor Center for information, directions, or to purchase a Nenana Ice Classic ticket.

The Athabascan culture is a matrilineal system in which children belong to the mother’s clan, rather than to the father’s clan. Activities were marked by the passing moons, each named according to the changing conditions: “when the first king salmon comes,” “when the moose lose their antlers,” “little crust comes on snow,” and so on. The winter was “the time we gathered together” when scattered families returned to their winter villages, hunt smaller animals close by, and gathered for potlaches and other community celebrations.

There are 11 different languages spoken by Alaskan Athabascans.

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DOYON -----Limited------

Nenana

Denali National Park Gateway to Mt.McKinley

Denali National Park Tour Packages Welcome to Denali National Park and Preserve, home to majestic Mt. McKinley. Doyon Native Corporation is the owner of three unique travel & tour companies, each offering Alaska visitors unparalleled opportunities to experience Denali Park.

While visiting Denali National Park you will have a unique opportunity to experience breathtaking landscapes and diverse wildlife in its natural habitat. Experiencing the wonder and majesty of Mt McKinley has never been easier or more affordable. Join us this summer on this special part of your Alaskan vacation. Build a custom vacation package that shows you the best of the park, on your terms and schedule. Our comfortable buses will transport you to Kantishna, Alaska. Along the way you will learn about the native Alaskan wildlife, Mt McKinley, and the people and history of Denali Park. Regardless of the time of year, or the weather you may experience on your vacation, Denali National Park is a breathtaking experience each and every day of the year.

The three Doyon tourism properties in Denali National Park consist of: Kantishna Roadhouse, all-inclusive backcountry lodge located nearly 100 miles deep in the heart of Denali Park. Denali River Cabins & Cedars Lodge Hotel, value priced Denali Park Hotel and cabin accommodations. Kantishna Wilderness Trails, offering a full-day Denali Park bus excursion that takes you to the Kantishna gold mining district of Denali National Park. www.seedenali.com

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138 Doyon Tourism is owned and operated by Alaska Native people of Athabaskan Indian descent.

Deep ties to the land, extensive knowledge of the plants and animals, and firsthand information and experiences regarding the challenges and rewards of living for generations in an extreme environment — that is the Doyon difference.

The Kantishna Roadhouse features two styles of Alaskan cabins in either a log duplex or four-plex. All cabin rooms are furnished with either two full size beds, or two queen size beds.

All rooms have private bathrooms and showers, climate controls, and alarm clocks. Handcrafted furniture and warm quilts add to your expectations of creature comforts – Alaskan style.

Kantishna Roadhouse also features two handicap–accessible cabins. Both cabins are immaculately decorated and outfitted for travelers that require these special accommodations.

The Denali River Cabins & Cedars Lodge Hotel is conveniently located near the entrance to Denali Park for easy access to sightseeing, tours & activities, restaurants and Alaskan gift shops.

Our cabins and hotel feature clean, quaint and comfortable hotel and authentic Alaskan cabin lodging. The cabins are nestled in the trees along the banks of the glacial-fed Nenana River.

www.seedenali.com www.seedenali.com

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Nenana

DENALI RIVER CABINS Visit Denali National Park and travel in comfort through the most scenic stretch of road in North America – Alaska’s Denali Park Road. Join us as we escort you into the heart of Denali National Park on a full-day, round-trip guided adventure through Denali Park and into the Kantishna Historical District. Rather than finishing at the Eielson Visitors Center, which signifies the end of the park road for normal Denali Park bus tours, Kantishna Wilderness Trails takes our visitors to the end of the Denali Park road – an extra 30 miles through the Wonder Lake district to picturesque Kantishna, Alaska.

Upon reaching Kantishna, visitors will be treated to a full hot lunch and guided activities at the Kantishna Roadhouse.

Visitors will have several options to stretch their legs and relax or choose from a free dog mushing demonstration or an interpretive program.

www.seedenali.com

SLANA

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Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve Slana is an Alaska Native village name, derived from the river’s name. Subsistence fishing and hunting is part of the fabric of rural Alaskan lifestyles. When the U.S. Congress established Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve in 1980, it recognized the important connection between rural Alaskans and the land in allowing them a continued opportunity for subsistence hunting, fishing, and gathering in the park. Many Alaskans live off the land, relying on fish, wildlife and other wild resources. Subsistence fishing and hunting provide a large share of the food consumed in rural Alaska. The state’s rural residents harvest about 22,000 tons of wild foods each year — an average of 375 pounds per person.

Fish makes up about 60 percent of this harvest.

Nowhere else in the United States is there such a heavy reliance upon wild foods. Two herds of bison, the largest land mammal in North America, roam Wrangell-St. Elias National Park

Umara’s

Fine Eskimo Art & Sewing Umara Nupowhotuk Established to promote authentic Alaskan Native Art umara@cvinternet.net Box 853 Slana, AK99586

907 822 3074

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Index Abyo, Andrew 77 Afognak Island 80 Alaska Eskimo Arts 44 Alaska Federation of Natives Arts & Crafts Show 58 Alaska Fur Exchange 35, 36, 37 Alaska House Art Gallery 123 Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge 69 Alaska Museum 27 Alaska Native Arts 27 Alaska Native Arts & Crafts 105 ALASKA NATIVE MEDICAL CENTER Auxiliary Heritage Collection and Craft Shop 50 Alaska Native Medical Centre and the Native Heritage Center 27 Alaskan Crafts 95 ALASKAN NATIVE APPAREL 44 Alaska State Council On The Arts 55 Alaska Village Initiatives 43, 44 Alaska Yukon Tours 121 Albert, Rose 46, 48 Alexander, Selina 127 ALFRED STARR CULTURAL CENTER 133 Alfred Starr Cultural Center 136 Alutiiq Museum 75 Amos, Bryon, Lloyd 42, 44 ANAKTUVUK PASS 117 ANCHORAGE, Alaska 27 Anchorage Museum 38 Arctic Circle Native Culture Adventure 128 Athabaskan Dena’ina People 27 Aurora Inn & Suites 97 Avugiak, Percy, C. 68

B BARROW, Alaska 111 BEAVER, Alaska 122 Beaver Lodge Tours 122

C Camai Dance Festival 88 Cedars Lodge Hotel 137 Chugach (article) 26 Chugach people 23 CHUGIAK, Alaska 65 Churchill, Delores 40 Cleveland, Katherine 110 CORDOVA 23 Cranberry Studio 65

D Dena’ina Athabaskan people 65 Denali National Park 137 Denali Park Hotel 137 Denali River Cabins 137, 139 Denali River Cabins & Cedars Lodge Hotel 138 DILLINGHAM 85 Dimond Center Hotel 72 Donna’s Native Arts & Crafts 66 Doyon Native Corporation 137 Doyon Tourism 138

E Emmonak Dancers 88 ETHICAL TOURS 115

F FAIRBANKS, Alaska 123 Fields, Robin, P. 47, 49 FORT YUKON, Alaska 121 Fritze’s Furs 85

G Gillespie, Geri 35 Gloria’s Creations 24 Goodwin, Samantha 112

Index

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BETHEL, ALASKA 89 Boxley, David 61 BRISTOL BAY 84 Bristol Bay Native Association 82 Brown, Steve 40 Bryant, Eva 61 Burton, Diana 24

Index

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“halibut fishing capital of the world.^ 69 Heinmiller, Carl 66 Henry, Susan 67 High, Allie 40 HILDEBRAND, Emma 46, 48 Holm,Bill 40 HOMER, Alaska 69 Hudson, Jack 40

Matchian, Franklin, F. 41, 44 Maxine & Jesse Whitney Museum 25 Morris Thompson Cultural and Visitors Center 124, 125 Mt McKinley 137 Museum Of The Aleutians 81

I

Jackson, Nathan 40

Naumoff, Alfred 76 Nelodeyoo, LLC 46, 48 NENANA, Alaska 133 Nenana Visitors Center 134 Nguyen, Karen 47, 49 Nichols, Darlene 24 Ningeulook, Robbie 105 NOME, Alaska 93, 95, 97 Nome Visitors and Convention Bureau 96 Nuna InuaAlaskan Native ART 120

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O

Kachemak Bay Research Reserve 69 KAKTOVIK, Alaska 115 Kantishna Roadhouse 137, 138 Kantishna Wilderness Trails 137 Kigluaik Adventures 98 Kigluaik Mountains 96 Kigluaik Snowguides 96 KODIAK, Alaska 75 Kodiak National Wildlife Refuge 80 Kokeok, Nancy 105 KOKHANOK 83 KOTZEBUE 107 Kulowiyi, Dean 100

Okomailak,SR., Larry, S. 112 Oliver, Marvin 40 OOMINGMAKMUSK OX PRODUCERS’ CO-OPERATIVE 28 Oscar’s Originals 87

Iditarod Sled Dog Race 97 ILANKA CULTURAL CENTER 23 Inupiat Heritage Center 111 IYA’S 42 Iya, Veronica & Julian 44

J

L Laura Wright Alaskan Parkys 41, 45 Laura Wright Alaska Parkys 49 Lieb J., Jerry 45 Lieb Jr., Jerry 41 Lind, Patrick 68 Lind, Susan 70 Lind Sr., Peter 70

N

P Paniyak, Ursula 63 Parker, Charlie 43, 44 Powell, Lisa, L. 43, 44 Pratt Museum 69 Pungowiyi, Dennis 47, 49

R Rasmuson Foundation 70

S Saccheus, Lenwood 46, 48 Schaeffer Sr., Roswell, L. 109 See, Jan, L. 43, 45 SELDOVIA, Alaska 71, 72 Seldovia Conference Center 73, 74 Seldovia Village Tribe 71 Shaglook, Adolph 110

143

T TELLER 101 Teller Cultural Festival 101 The Alaska Marine Highway 16 The Alaska Native Medical Center 53 The Bering Straits Native Corporation 93 The Kingikmiut Dance Festival 102 The Nielsen’s 83 The Yupiit Piciryarait Museum 89 Togiak National Wildlife Refuge 84 Tundra Tours at the Top Of The World Hotel 114

U Umara’s 140 Unalakleet, Alaska 92 UNALASKA 81

V VALDEZ, Alaska 25

W WALES, Alaska 102 WASILLA, Alaska 67 Wasslie, Moses, Uksuq 42 Wasslie. Moses, Uksuq 44 WEIO 132 WEIO 50th anniversary collection 41 WEIO 50th Anniversary photo 47 Wells Fargo History Museum 31 Wells Fargo Museum 27 Weyiouanna Arts & Crafts 103 WORLD ESKIMO-INDIAN OLYMPICS 129, 131 World Eskimo Indian Olympics 107

World Eskimo Olympics 127 Wrangell-St. Elias National Park 140 Wright, Laura 45

Y Yates, Douglas 61 Yupik people 85

Index

Sheldon, Nellie 110 SHISHMAREF, Alaska 103 Simon Paneak Memorial Museum 117 Sinnok Native Arts & Crafts 104 SLANA, Alaska 140 St. Lawrence Island 99, 100 St. Lawrence Island Original Ivory Co-operative Ltd. 99 Sulianich Art Center 107, 108 Swanson, Joanne 92

Discover fascinating facts about the Yukon’s unique history and culture at the many museums, interpretive centres and cultural centres throughout the Yukon 1

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Stop by & Visit These

Amazing Yukon Attractions!

WATSON LAKE & SOUTHERN LAKES REGION 1 Northern Lights Centre is home to the Yukon’s only visitor facility dedicated to the science and folklore of the aurora borealis.

2 George Johnston Museum & Heritage Park in Teslin is named after a venerated Tlingit Elder, fur trader and entrepreneur, who uses his rare photographs, Tlingit ceremonial robes and traditional objects to tell the story of the Teslin people.

3 The Teslin Tlingit Heritage Centre welcomes visitors to participate in the day-to-day life of the Tlingit people whose traditions are reflected in every aspect of the facility.

WHITEHORSE REGION 4 The Yukon Beringia Interpretive Centre The lost sub-continent of Beringia dates back to the last great ice age. It was a land of ice, giant mammals and the First People of North America. Highlights of the Centre include the reconstruction of the largest woolly mammoth ever recovered in North America, a real mammoth tusk and the remains of a 26,000 year old Yukon horse.

5 The Yukon Transportation Museum, A Moving Experience. True Yukon stories live here. Come & experience big, impressive modes of transportation – dramatic, authentic, and personal stories of Yukon ingenuity & self-sufficiency. The Yukon Transportation Museum is home to CF-CPY, a restored DC-3 on a pedestal, the world’s largest weathervane.

6 Yukon Historical & Museums Association Offers a 45-minute walking tour of Whitehorse. Guides in period costume take visitors on a journey back in time, revealing more than a century of the city’s heritage through fascinating stories about its historic buildings, unique architecture and local landmarks.

7 The Old Log Church Museum Experience Yukon’s spirited history within one of the oldest buildings in Whitehorse. Carry away a sense of the passion, conviction and determination of the early pioneers and missionaries who helped shape Yukon’s story.

13 Dä Ku (Our House) Cultural Centre in Haines Jct. welcomes you to experience the culture and traditions of the Southern Tuchone First Nations people.

Come see the exhibits and listen to the First Nations interpretation of traditional lifestyles.

8 The Miles Canyon Historic Railway preserves Yukon railway and mining history. Visitors to downtown Whitehorse can ride the scenic trolley while chatting with our informative staff. The Copperbelt Railway and Mining Museum is located on the Alaska Highway heading just north of Whitehorse and offers Loki rides and mining history.

CAMPBELL REGION 14 The Campbell Region Interpretive Centre is the place in Faro to go for information and interesting displays on the Campbell Region’s history, geology and wildlife.

9 MacBride Museum of Yukon History Yukon adventure starts here at MacBride Museum, a half city block of history. Our exhibits illustrate the fascinating people and groundbreaking events that shaped Canada’s Yukon. Pan for Klondike gold, visit our 1898 saloon, and discover the real Sam McGee. SILVER TRAIL REGION 10 Binet House in Mayo is home to displays on area history, early medical instruments, wildlife, geology, &local permafrost studies& the Na-Cho Nyäk Dun First Nation.

KLONDIKE REGION 15 Tagé Cho Hudän Interpretive Centre Centre showcases the past and present culture of the Northern Tutchone with many fascinating exhibits and guided tours based on our oral tradition.

16 Big Jonathan House the Selkirk First Nation cultural centre in Pelly Crossing has a range of exhibits, interpretive programming and locally made crafts for sale.

17 The Dawson City Museum is housed in the beautiful Old Territorial Administration Building National Historic Site, one of the premier heritage attractions in the Klondike. The exhibits provide an in-depth look at Dawson’s social and mining history, the Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in First Nations, the Gold Rush and the development of the Klondike.

11 The Keno City Mining Museum building is Jackson Hall, Keno City’s old community centre built in the 1920s. This museum is filled with relics from the gold and silver mining history dating as far back as the early 1900s.

18 Dänojà Zho Cultural Centre (Long Time Ago House) celebrates and shares the traditional and contemporary experiences of the Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in.

KLUANE 12 Kluane Museum of Natural History nestled in the heart of Burwash landing, offers a world-class wildlife exhibit along with displays on the Southern Tutchone people and the many plant species that make their home in the national park.

NORTH YUKON 19 The John Tizya Centre is located in Old Crow, the only Yukon community located north of the Arctic Circle.

The facility has an exciting new exhibition area, with displays of the Vuntut Gwitchin’s dynamic culture, the Porcupine Caribou herd, the landscape and oral history.

For more information on Yukon Heritage Attractions, please call (867) 667-4704 or visit www.yukonmuseums.ca or www.heritageyukon.ca. For a Portable Copy Pick Up a Bell’s Yukon Map.

An island of artists. It has been many months now since I returned from the mist-shrouded ‘Island of Artists’ off the west coast of British Columbia, and the vast land to the north known as the Alaskan Panhandle. I have had time to reflect on the wonderful people I met along the way, and how I finally found myself on a ten seater float plane high above Hecate Strait on my way to the mystical village of Masset, some seven weeks after my departure from Vancouver. What happened to me during those seven weeks and the two weeks that followed on the ‘Island of Artists,’ was nothing short of amazing and an experience that I will cherish forever.

My original plan had been to visit the new Haida Heritage Centre at Kaay Llnagaay in Skidegate but the morning after I arrived in Prince Rupert on Air Canada Jazz Flight 203 my plans changed drastically. I found myself about to embark on another adventure of a lifetime. The Alaska Marine Highway Ferry arrived in Prince Rupert the next morning and I stepped on board.

I saw more than Alaska. I had always wanted to see Alaska and see Alaska I did!

I spent a week each in Ketchikan, Sitka, Juneau, Haines and finally Anchorage. I left Anchorage on October 30 and arrived back in Prince Rupert on November 1. Once back in Prince Rupert, the weather was still quite mild, so I took a chance and headed east to Terrace for a week and then to Hazelton. I had in mind that I wanted to be on the ‘Island of Artists’ for my birthday (November 22), but how could I get back to Prince Rupert and then to Haida Gwaii safe and sound, with the least amount of wear and tear on my body and soul? That was the challenge. I decided to take the train.

After all my other adventures on this trip, I was so happy that I wasn’t going to miss out on finally going to Haida Gwaii. So I affectionately dubbed the train: ‘The Train to Haida Gwaii’ WARFLEET PRESS

Your Northwest Coast cultural adventure begins with original 19th century totem poles

Totem Heritage Center

601 Deermount St. • Ketchikan, AK • 907-225-5900